Part 10

Larabee followed the bent grass.  The shiny roughened sides of the autumn weeds clearly defined the path Tanner or his horse took.  They found the discarded mare´s leg only a few feet from the gambler.  Bloody hand prints marred its stock.

Chris swore as he swung from the saddle to retrieve the weapon.  He hefted the gun gaging its weight and its meaning and climbed back into the saddle. 

Wilmington watched wondering if they would lose three friends today. 

As Buck and Chris neared the trees, heavy dark splashes of congealing blood sprayed the surrounding grass.  

Wilmington took a furtive glance at his oldest friend.

Chris didn´t look up to meet Buck´s gaze.  He did not want to see the worry and fear in the man who knew him best.  Instead, Larabee kept his head down and made a simple observation, “Not a man´s blood…too much of it…must be a horse.”

Buck nodded in agreement.   Somehow it did not make his heart beat any slower.  Wilmington leaned forward in his saddle and squinted into the area just under the trees. 

Amongst the shadows, within the over hanging canopy of stretching pined limbs lay shapes that did not belong.

“Chris up ahead,” The no nonsense, matter of fact tone, had Larabee snapping his head up.

Both men spurred their horses into a gallop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Easy now boy, we ain´t gonna hurt ‘im,”  Nathan stretched out a hand palm up trying to entice the dog away from the gambler.   Jackson witnessed the slow even rise and fall of the gambler´s breathing.  He´s still a live…Thank God.

The dog snapped and lunged snarling all the while.  Its broad feet remained planted on either side of Its master. 

“Dang it Josiah this ain´t gonna work,”  Jackson quickly pulled his hand back as the dog lunged again.  The terrifying sound of snapping jaws sent the healer´s heart racing. 

Sanchez nodded not willing to argue but unwilling to pull his gun.  Loyalty such as this should not be rewarded with a bullet. 

The preacher gazed at the fallen man.   So much blood.  Good God his whole face seemed bathed in thick layers of congealing blood. 

Josiah scrutinized the dog.  Beau returned the gaze swiveling his eyes from healer to preacher. 

Sanchez suddenly sat up.  The dog lunged again.  Both men back pedaled. 

“I´ve got a plan”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Larabee jumped from the Black as it stuttered to a stop.  The heavy stench of blood filled the air.  The horse never stopped moving and shied from the area once his rider left the stirrups.  The big gelding trotted between the trees distancing himself from the carnage.  It would no travel far, it had been trained better than most…but instinct for survival would not be ignored.  The horse sought relative safety from the pervading stench of death. 

Buck jumped from his Grey but held the reins.  He wrestled with his saddle bags.  The big Grey snorted and tossed his head.  The overbearing feel of terror urged it to run.

Chris sidestepped the dead horse.  A palomino from the looks of the head and neck.   It had been hamstrung.  Something had torn the hamstrings of the left hind leg.  The animals left flank had been peeled back revealing bloated intestines.  Flies buzzed the wounds.  Deep furrows as wide as a child´s hand covered the animals side.  Dollar size chunks of hide and hair had been torn from the animal before it had died.  Blood had pooled in the superficial wounds. 

The rider lay a few feet away.  The man lay flat on his back staring sightlessly up at the canopy of trees.  Flies walked over unmoving lips.  Dirt and debris sat undisturbed on drying corneas.  The elbow like bend in the neck gave a clear indicator as to how the man died. 

No animal had gnawed his flesh.

Chris gave horse and rider only a casual glance.  His concern lay for the second body. 

The Buckskin clad back faced Larabee.  The body lay on its side curled into a foetal position. 

“Buck,”  The gunslinger´s quiet exclamation wasn´t necessary.  Wilmington flanked Larabee.  Buck´s eyes skittered in and around the trees tying to catch a glimpse of whatever dragged down the horse and rider. 

“I´m here pard´,”  Buck´s whispered voice floated as quietly as the fall breeze. He shut his eyes for a fraction of a second before following Chris to the unmoving body of Tanner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You call this a plan?”  Nathan blinked sweat out of his eyes as he crouched ready to move.

“Better than nothing,”  Sanchez took a deep breath, shooting the dog would be a last resort. They had to try something else first.   The preacher cracked his knuckles and nodded.

Time to act.

With agility and speed not normally seen in someone of his age or build, Josiah darted in slapped the dog on the rump. 

Beau had missed the big man´s movements because it kept its wary eyes on the healer.  Nathan had edged just within striking range, in an attempt to give Josiah the best chance. 

The sudden unseen contact had the dog whirling around mid air.  In a blaze of fury, the dog charged the preacher.

Nathan lunged for the gambler. 

Josiah leaped back raising his hands keeping them from the snapping jaws.  This was not one of his better plans.

Jackson hauled the gambler closer to the horses...Chaucer in particular. 

“Bo!” Jackson holler saved both the dog and the preacher a violent end.  The black cur spun mid air and landed without the coppery taste of blood.

Seeing that his master had been dragged from his protection, the dog charged the healer.

Chaucer merely flattened his ears and faced the dog.  It slowed and distracted Beau enough for Josiah to land a lariat´s noose around its neck. 

Sanchez suddenly found himself in a position much like Ezra had that very first morning with Beau so long ago. 

Shit.

The chase was on…Nathan would have laughed it the situation had not been so serious. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris tucked cold fingers between the jaw and shoulder on Tanner´s bowed neck.  He pressed with vigor...and found no pulse. 

Rage built like an ocean wave heading for shore.

Larabee lightened his hold…and then he felt it…sensed it almost.  A bump a small bump nudged callused, dirt stained finger tips.  A pregnant pause and then another bump.

A pulse…It was a pulse. 

Chris swallowed hoping to place his heart back in his chest.  Vin had a pulse.

“He´s alive Buck,” Larabee kept his eyes rooted on the pale unconscious man before him.  He did not need Buck to witness his fear and stark pain.  Wilmington had already been through enough with him.

Together the two lawmen rolled the bounty hunter onto his back.   The wound had suddenly become obvious.   Slack, dirty, tied hands had tried to stem the bleeding to no avail. 

Blood pooled and flowed slowly from the lower thigh.   A dark saturated ring had encompassed the tan pants leg. 

Entry and exit wounds staggered slightly in height marring the Tracker´s lower thigh.

He was slowly bleeding to death. 

Buck hastily untied his bandana and cinched it down above the wound creating a tourniquet.   Chris pulled his knife and tore open the hole in the pant leg. 

The two men worked in tandem.  Neither spoke.  Their hands never interfered with one another, they never bumped or redirected the other.  They worked as a team.  Worked as if they had known each other since birth. 

In the face of death, Buck felt the rekindling of a friendship that had grown old and stale. 

Tanner was a catalyst.  Wilmington had every intention of ensuring that the long haired Texan survived this encounter. 

There amongst orange discarded pine needles, laying on hard packed dirt of autumn, a simple bounty hunter wavered precariously between life and death.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JD urged the mules off the rode and through the meadow.  He paused when he noticed Josiah sitting in a tree holding the end of a lariat.  Dunne´s confusion disappeared when he noticed the dog leaping and growling trying to reach the man that held the rope.

Nathan worked unfazed and unconcerned.  He had bigger worries on his hands.

Dunne pulled the flatbed to a stop next to Chaucer and set the brake.  The young sheriff jumped down and jogged to the healer. 

“Nathan?” 

“He´s alive JD…bullet glanced his thick head…probably safest place to shoot him,”  The giddy humor acted as a contagen.  

“What about Josiah?” 

Nathan didn´t bother looking up, “We´ll have to wait an see.”  The healer placed a folded square bandage over the friction burned wound.

Jackson then stared across the meadow to the preacher.  He sometimes wondered about Josiah, “ Said he had a plan,”  Jackson shrugged.  It was working. 

JD nodded accepting the peculiarities of his elders as something that came with age.  “The others?”  

His answer revealed itself when Buck came charging across the meadow.   The big grey horse stretched into its gallop. 

Nathan let his hands pause.  Wilmington´s body language did not look good.  Vin had to be alive but must be in serious shape.

“JD keep Ezra on his side and then go help Josiah,”  Nathan stood up and wiped his blood stained hands on his pants. 

Dunne didn´t question Jackson, instead he side stepped to Standish´s side all the while keeping his eyes on Buck.   What about Vin?

Nathan tossed his bags in the back of the buckboard and jumped to the drivers seat.

He managed only a few yards before Buck crow hopped to a stop beside him.

“Vin´s hurt bad,”  The ladies´ man´s eyes fell to the prone gambler and JD. “Ezra?”

“He´s ok for now…let´s git to Vin,” 

Buck wheeled his big Grey around and headed back to Chris and Vin.  Wilmington furrowed his brow when he noticed Josiah sitting in the tree. 

Sanchez was indeed a strange bird.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris leaned stiff armed against the seeping wound.  Blood stained the sides and tips of his fingers.  So much blood.  Too much.

Where are you Buck?  Come on…where´s Nathan? 

His heart hammered in his chest.  He let his gaze rove around the area.  What the hell dragged that horse down?  Talk about dumb luck.

“Ezra?” The weak Texan drawl sounded like a clap of thunder. 

Larabee swung his gaze to Tanner´s face. 

“Easy Vin ya gonna be alright…Nathan´s comin´,” Larabee shifted his weight.  It translated down his extended arms through his palms and into the wound.

Vin hissed in pain. 

Chris whispered an apology.

“Ezra…He shot Ezra…never saw it comin”  Vin´s struggles consisted mostly of rolling his head side to side.

“Ezra´s fine.jist hold on” 

The rattle of wood against a metal frame seared the area.  A few seconds passed and suddenly Buck and Nathan exploded into view. 

Larabee took a relieved breath.  Nathan would have this under control.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jackson registered the amount of blood lost, he felt the rapid thready pulse, the cold clammy skin…and wished he knew more than he did…wished he attended a structured school.  

The thoughts flashed through his mind quickly and then disappeared.  He had a job to do and no one out here had his experience. 

He would be nauseous and scared after he got the others safely back to town…not before.

Chris slid away from Buck and Nathan.  Healing was something Larabee did not profess to have any skill.  With the determination of a hunter, Chris found himself at the dead rider´s side.  

He recognized the man.  The gunslinger knelt down beside the corpse and swiped flies from the bluish face.   Memories started climbing to the surface.  Last night…last night this man had gambled with Standish and lost…lost badly.  At the time Chris had been initially worried but the loser had walked from the game with only disheartened grumbles and empty threats.  Larabee had not been concerned.  Ezra was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Had the loser waited in ambush for the two riders?  Had he wanted revenge for losing?  Larabee´s anger stirred into a maelstrom.  Why take Vin hostage?   The bounty?  Did he recognize Vin during the ambush? 

All this over a game of cards? 

Larabee´s dark musings were interrupted by Buck´s soft holler, “Chris we´re ready to load him up.”   

Together the three men gently laid the grayish pale tracker in the back of the wagon.  They rested him on spread saddle blankets trying to trap heat and offer some comfort against the buckboard´s plank bed. 

Buck draped the over coat he kept tied to his saddle over Tanner.

JD spoke softly to Bo.  He treated the dog as he would have wanted to be treated.  The young sheriff did not understand why others found that such a difficult concept.  Though a dog, Bo still had the fears and aggressions that possessed other animals.  It took some doing but after a few minutes of plain talking, JD managed to get the end of the rope from Josiah. 

The large preacher smiled ,somewhat sheepishly, from his perch in the tree but his relief was plain to see. 

Bo gave Sanchez one last growl before following the dark haired youngster back to his charge.  

JD´s horse gave the dog no mind.  Bo must have figured all horses to be like Chaucer, or so Dunne figured.  The dog kept a discrete distance.  

The trio quickly made their way back to the lone gambler who lay in the middle of a meadow curled on his side.

The sound of the approaching wagon had JD peering over his shoulder.  The mules moved slowly, picking their way across the field.  A much different pace than when they had first traversed it when going to Vin. 

Dunne smiled. Vin had to still be alive.

>From his perch on the wagon´s driver´s seat, Larabee found his gaze settling on Sanchez. 

“Why´s Josiah sitting in a tree?” 

Nathan followed their leader´s gaze and returned Josiah´s exuberant wave, “Was part of his plan.” 

Larabee no longer tried to discern the reasons behind his men´s eccentricities. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wagon swayed and bounced across the meadow.   The mules leaned into their harnesses, hauled on the hitch and heaved the buckboard up onto the road.

The buckboard lurched listing dangerously toward one side and then the other. 

The occupants of the wagon were jarred left than right.  They slid backward and then bent forward. 

Nathan held a steadying hand to Vin´s blanketed shoulder.   The healer kept the tracker´s shoulder flush to the wagon bed while the lanky man´s legs were raised on two discarded saddles.  They needed to help get blood to the heart, or so Nathan had been told.  Jackson kept his eyes on the thick bandage around the gunshot wound.  Blood had seeped through the wadded cotton but it had taken some time.  The bleeding had stopped for now.  

Josiah encircled the gambler´s shoulder´s, neck and head in his arms.  They had to keep Ezra slightly elevated.   Nathan wasn´t sure of the logic behind the order but knew that most of the successful head wound recoveries slept with their shoulders above the level of their waists.   Jackson wasn´t taking any chances.

Josiah kept his eyes on the blood stained face.  Standish seemed deathly pale, nearly as pale as Tanner.  The preacher shifted his legs trying to relieve a cramp.  The movement jarred the gambler.   “Easy Brother,”  Sanchez´s deep voice rolled with the harsh creak of the wagon.  He never expected Standish to hear him.  To his shock and wonderment, the gambler´s eyes peeled apart and unrolled.   “Ezra?”  Josiah leaned over and closer to the young man within his grasp, “Ezra? You with us son?” 

Standish´s eyes merely rolled back and fluttered closed. 

Josiah looked across to Nathan. 

The healer merely shrugged.  It had to be a good sign. 

The wagon rolled quickly down the road.  The riders were cast in alternating hues of shadows as they traveled under over hanging trees.  A breeze tickled the air.  

Larabee urged the mules toward Four Corners.  He peered over his shoulder at his passengers.  The amount of blood still hung heavy in his minds eye.  A macabre picture that would not fade. With frustration, he flicked the reins over the mules rumps. 

The horses ponied quietly behind the wagon.  The tension was fraught with potential impatience. 

The sun set without notice. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan´s small clinic seemed almost to burst at the seams with people. 

Vin´s leg had started seeping again through the bandages. 

Josiah lent his impressive strength and weight to the wound in Vin´s leg once they got the tracker into a bed.

The tracker moaned only slightly at the abuse.

Buck and JD eased the gambler into the cot.   They stripped him of his clothes.  Occasionally Ezra´s eyes would open.  He stared blankly at nothing as both Buck and JD tried to cajole some response from him.  Each time Standish´s eyes merely closed.  

Buck and JD´s disappointment kept itself in check in the face of their tasks. 

Chris floated in the background watching the proceedings.  He asked no more questions.  No one knew the dead man under the trees, only that he had lost big to Ezra last night. 

Things were as clear as mud.  A bounty hunter?  Did he work alone or did some one still sit and wait?.and what the hell dragged down that horse?  Did a predator stalk just outside of town? Other than the two legged kind? 

Larabee´s eyes fell to the dog.  Beau returned the stare.

The lack of answers hung heavy on shoulders.  The others busied themselves, in the dim light afforded by kerosene lamps.   There was not enough room for all of them.  None were willing to leave.

Larabee folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the door.  His piercing green gaze traveled from Tanner´s bed to Standish´s cot.  Worry ate at his gut.

Nathan finally straightened from Vin´s bed, cracking his back.  He stared at each and everyone of them.  He found their eyes as they reflected behind shadows created by the flickering lamps.   Silhouettes mostly, just forms hiding from the light of truth.

Nathan´s gaze finally landed on Larabee and stayed, “Done all we can for him…his foot´s still warm…and he´s got a pulse…jist got to wait ‘n´ see.” 

The others nodded as sighs escaped.  Dark outlines shifted within the background.  Amazing how this small room could disguise so many when needed. 

Chris nodded, though few could see it.  He slipped from the room.  The others only heard the soft click of the door.

Buck and JD peeled away from the cot allowing Nathan room to work on Standish.  Josiah cleaned the basin and started boiling more water. 

With nothing more to do Buck left the room.  Someone needed to keep Chris in close.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laying quietly in the corner, a shadow within a shadow, lay Beau.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buck sipped his whiskey quietly.  Chris wouldn´t talk, not now.  The man had too much anger built up inside.  Wilmington caught JD heading toward their table with a mug of beer in hand.  The young Sheriff had taken the time to speak with Inez.  The barmaid smiled tightly and had slid a beer to the young man. 

As JD drew closer Buck silently shook his head ‘No´.  Chris could sometimes lash out and blindly strike innocents.  Dunne didn´t deserve it.

JD ignored Buck and pulled out a seat.  The youngest sat quietly and looked imploringly up at his mentor. 

“They´re gonna be alright Buck, ain´t no reason to worry none,”  JD´s confidence seemed to wilt within the young tones.

“I know they are kid”  Wilmington´s smile lifted the ends of his mustache, “Good ole Devil ain´t gonna want that pair at his gate at the same time…and I think St. Peter…jist ain´t ready to deal with´em yet.” 

“Whatta ya think happened out there?”  Dunne searched the two men for answers.  Chris lifted his eyes from his whiskey glass and stared at Buck.  JD watched the exchange.  The young sheriff felt sweat bead his forehead when Larabee´s hazel glare landed on him.

Almost lost two friends, should have seen it coming. 

Buck´s voice broke the silence, “I think we´re gonna have to wait ‘til they wake up some.”

Wilmington offered JD a reassuring smile before returning Larabee´s heated stare.

Kid ain´t to blame for this…leave´im alone.  Ain´t no one to blame not even yerself.

Inez wiped down the bar top and watched the three men at the corner table.   JD suddenly seemed too small, too young to be sitting amongst such men.  Though, senors Larabee and Wilmington would protect the young sheriff with their lives…Inez feared for the tender heart within the young man.   Nothing could shelter it from the ravages of time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan rubbed his face and leaned back in the rocker.  He stretched his legs out, the muscles quivering with the need to loosen cramps.   A chill settled in his bones.  A coldness born of overtiredness.  An early morning sun caste new light into the small room. Shadows retreated with the promise of returning.

The healer sat forward again, tipping the chair on its rungs.  With an exhausted sigh, he heaved himself to his feet. 

Time to start a new day.  It seemed as if time ran together in one giant blur, differentiated only by the unexplainable rise and fall of fevers.  

He checked both men. 

Vin´s fever had dipped some with the rising of the sun.   The tracker lay curled on his side, his leg kept as close to his chest as possible.  Laudanum only dulled the pain.  The thick medicine did not extinguish it completely.   Jackson dropped a gentle hand to the side of Vin´s head.  The healer gleamed some comfort and reassurance in the touch.

Standish had managed to shift and move occasionally through the night.  He slowly climbed from the heavy clutches of unconsciousness.   Nathan had carefully placed a second and then a third blanket over the restless man.  Ezra understood cold, had faced it, dealt with it, and did not like it.  The healer did his best to accommodated his friend. 

The dog had remained motionless at the foot of the Gambler´s cot all night.  Now, in the light of a weak morning sun, Bo lifted his head and rumbled a soft growl.

Nathan smiled half heartily to himself.  One of the others must be climbing the stairs. Funny, how the growl to the untrained ear sounded horrific but to one accustomed to it learned the various meanings behind such sounds.

In a few seconds, heavy foot falls rang across the small porch.  The door swung open with blast of crisp morning air swooping in on its heels.   It revitalized the stagnant air of the room.

“How they are they doing, Brother?”  Josiah´s deep voice rang through the room.  Even with his voice kept soft he still herald a commanding sound.  Nathan couldn´t help but think Josiah would have made a formidable presence behind the pulpit.

“Doin´ better,”  Jackson fixed the blankets that had slid partially to the floor from the cot.  He laid them carefully across Ezra pulling them up over bare shoulders.  Standish didn´t move.  The white bandage around his head hid the wound but did little to disguise the intense bruising. 

Sanchez stared down at Vin, “How you feeling brother?” 

Nathan swung around at the question.  Josiah chuckled slightly at Jackson´s surprised look.  Must not have known Vin was awake.  The preacher took stalk of the bounty hunters expression and realized Vin might not truly be with them. 

Nathan hurried to the side of the bed.  He watched the dazed blue eyes blink and fight to focus.  He noted the confused look and quiet determination.  The healer turned his attention back to the wound. 

“Vin?”  Jackson tossed the blankets up off Tanner´s injured leg and inspected the wound.  “How you feelin´?” 

The tracker hissed at the touch and tried to pull his leg away.

“Easy Vin, Nathan´s got to check,”  Josiah´s rumbling tone eased some of the tension. Yep he´s awake.

“Yer lucky Vin,”  Nathan flipped the blankets back down and smiled at the bounty hunter, “ain´t seen many men lose that much blood and live.”

Tanner´s blue eyes flittered from man to man.  His head hurt and his stomach churned with unrest.  He felt dizzy and light headed even though he lay on his back.  Images flashed through his mind with painful speed and clarity.

“Ezra?”  His voice croaked harshly but the urgency and fear carried true.

“He´s gonna be ok Vin,”  Nathan reassured.  The healers gaze fell to the quiet man laying in the cot across the small room.  Bo had moved.  He lay curled on the floor at the head of the bed.  Nathan would have to remember to lay a blanket down for the dog.

Jackson pulled his attention back to his conscious patient.

Tanner watched disheartened as Jackson rested a gentle hand on his forehead checking again for fever.   Vin really hated being down.

Josiah noticed the tired but wary glance, “Can you tell us what happened?” 

The bounty hunter let out a careful sigh.  Could he tell them what happened?  Could he remember that another bounty hunter came looking for Five hundred dollars and in turn nearly killed a friend?  Could he recall the way Ezra´s head snapped around a fraction of a second after the report of a rifle.  Did he see the way Standish had been flung from his saddle like rag doll with blood already pooling down his face.  Or the hammering intense burn as a bullet seared through his own leg?  The sick feeling knowing that he was bleeding to death and could do nothing stop it. Would he ever forget the wrenching sensation of being forced to leave behind a friend hurt and protected only by an enraged dog.

Vin wondered if the memories would ever fade. 

Tanner nodded at the two men staring down at him.   Yeah, he remembered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

part 11

Chris sat outside the clinic.  The morning sun warmed the area, but somehow skipped over him.  JD watched as Josiah hammered on the roof again.  The young sheriff had begun to wonder if Sanchez just kept nailing in the same shake.  Shouldn´t the roof be done by now?  Probably not.  Bo kept sneaking up there and tearing shingles loose and burying them. 

Ezra had always pleaded innocent to the dog´s mischievous behavior.  He weren´t fool´in anyone funny thing was .JD figured Ezra knew it too. 

Dunne sighed and leaned back against front wall of the clinic.  Poor Vin.  Beatin´ himself up over nuthin´.  Ain´t his fault some greedy lowlife came gunnin´ for him. Ain´t his fault at all.  They all told him that but he just kept starin´ at Ezra sleeping heavy like under some blankets.  JD guessed Vin wouldn´t feel good about hisself until Ezra woke up and cheated him at cards. 

Dunne´s eyes traveled to his best friend.

Buck stood against the porch railing.  JD could tell he were mad about something. Just couldn´t pin it down yet.  Buck had no reason to be mad at Chris.  Chris wasn´t to blame for this whole fiasco.  Besides JD, figured, Chris blamed himself enough.  Ezra playing cards and beating people into murderous rages wasn´t anything new.  Chris being angry at the gambler for doing it certainly wasn´t new .Normally, JD felt bad for Ezra when Larabee got angry like that normally JD would wait for Buck or one of the others to interfere and then try and keep Ezra from floating away angry and spurned.  Lately they hadn´t had to do it mainly because Bo was there.  Dang dog liked Ezra whether Ezra won big at the gaming tables or lost.  Bo followed him and protected him just the same whether Ezra was dead broke or rich as a king.  Heck the dog didn´t care if Ezra was falling down drunk laughing or sullen.  Bo just lay at his feet or sat by his side.  Thumped his tail if the gambler ever rested his hand on the dog´s broad scarred head.  Made no difference to Bo at all.  He liked Ezra just the way he was .

Lately, the others had left the dog to do the watching out for Standish.  They didn´t mind.  It kept them from having to play go between for him and Larabee and even Nathan. 

JD wondered if Nathan still checked his horse three times a day just to make sure it was content in his stall.   Ezra and Buck had had a running bet going for awhile even Josiah was in on it.  Dunne had bowed out didn´t seem right to bet behind Nathan´s back.  Those two had no principles...Josiah well, he was too old and wise to contradict.  Besides sometimes Josiah could act as contrary as the rest of them especially with drinking.

JD couldn´t figure out why Buck seemed so riled.  The big man stood with a white knuckle grip on the railing his eyes searching town.  JD could see the muscles in Buck´s jaw knot and relax. 

The bounty hunter, dead back in the woods, worked with accomplices.  More than a few it seemed, from what Vin had just told them. 

JD shook his head.  Vin had no right to be putting blame on his own shoulders for what had happened. 

The way Vin told it, him and Ezra got themselves ambushed.   Vin had no idea something was wrong.  He should have though, or so he said, cuz Bo had been snarling and fussing for a few minutes before things went awry.  Ezra had watched the dog concerned at first but Chaucer had been spirited and had been kicking out at the dog all during the ride.

Ezra had written Bo´s foul mood off to the horse.

Vin said looking back he should have known should have known someone hid in the woods with a gun.  Should have listened. 

Dunne couldn´t figure it listen .to who?  A dog? 

Anyhow, Vin then said, a shot rang out and next thing he know´s Ezra gits thrown from his saddle. 

JD would never forget the look on Vin´s face at this point in the story.  Vin looked scared angry and down right sick all at the same time. 

Vin said he then pulled his mare´s leg but a second shot rung out.  He dropped his gun when his thigh nearly exploded with pain.  He didn´t actually say ‘exploded´ but JD had been shot before and that´s what it felt like to him .a big chunk of meat and tissue just explode from your body.  Hurts like hell .don´t let anyone tell ya different.

Then a few riders came into the clearing.  Three had gone over to check Ezra but Bo wouldn´t let them near him.  Dang dog were part devil, from the way Vin tells it.  They were gonna shoot him but the ring leader told them to quit screwing with the dog and help him.

That´s when Vin´s hands got tied. 

JD realized Vin never mentioned about all the bleeding his leg had done .never even made a hint towards it instead he just said how still and crumpled Ezra lay in the grass .how Bo just stood over him shielding him from the others.

Then they rode out. 

Chris got impatient at this point in the story where were the other men then?  They still out there? 

Vin gave Chris an apologetic look and started the story up again.

They rode out.  Most of  the ambushers headed North.  Vin got ponied behind the leader heading for the SouthWest.  There had been talk of Tascosa and the bank in Four Corners. It seemed the ambushers couldn´t agree on targets.  It seemed they wanted the remaining five peacekeepers out of town so they could rob the bank.  What better way to drag them out than to take Tanner. 

Vin had said that´s what the ambushers said.  JD had felt his heart lurch when Vin repeated that tidbit.  Chris and the others would have done the same thing for Ezra no doubt at all.  The outlaws could have taken Ezra and they all still would have rode out to look for him.  Good thing Ezra were out of his mind when the ambushers were bragging about their plans.  Cuz that would have hurt him worse than any barroom brawl.  Even Bo would have had a hard time helping him fix that pain. 

Anyhow the ambushers had split up, or so Vin had said.  The one ponying Vin headed off alone.  Vin said he tried to keep his eyes on Ezra but could feel himself getting dizzy.  That was when he noticed Bo. 

The crazy dog had just sat and waited.  Sat right next to Ezra and waited.  Vin couldn´t figure out what the dog was doing .kind of thought the dog would stay by Ezra´s side until help came but that ain´t what it did. 

Not at all. 

It waited alright.  Vin had paused in the story and glanced at the dog curled by the head of Ezra´s bed.  He gave the dog a wary glance.  JD couldn´t quite figure it out admiration and perhaps a tinge of fear. 

Vin pulled himself back to the story when Josiah cleared his throat.

The dog waited until the other three ambushers had disappeared to the North.  Hell the dang dog even sat a little longer as if to be sure.

‘Be sure of what´ that ‘s what they all wanted to ask .

But Vin continued the story .

With the others gone from sight Bo acted.  He stood up sniffed Ezra´s face one time and then started out after the one captor.

Vin had paused again and again stared at the dog that lay peacefully by his master´s bed. It seemed as if he tried to connect the two different personas.

Bo had come in low and fast.  Hugged the ground like shifting shadow.  Peso had started getting nervous as did the Palomino.  Both horses started shying and prancing.  Vin admitted to having a hard time keeping his seat.  Being so dizzy an all.  JD could appreciate that all right.

The captor was too busy fighting his horse and the pony line.  He never saw the dog. 

Vin did.  From the look on his face, JD figured, Vin had to have been both scared and awed.

The dog hit the Palomino from the side.  Jumped up and tried for the juggler.  The horse had screamed.   It had twisted around and struck out with a hind foot.  That was when Bo latched onto the hamstring. 

Ain´t no way a single dog could tear a hamstring on its own just standing still .but with the horse kicking and bucking and running frantically toward the woods just trying to shake the dog loose well all that momentum, plus the jerky change in angles and the added weight well the hamstring tore.  Completely through. 

Dang hindleg had just straightened right out like a human´s leg useless on a horse. Can´t bear no weight joints bend differently with no hamstring attached. The lower half of the leg just swung in a circle like the second hand on Ezra´s pocket watch.

Peso had had enough.  Horse pulled itself free and bolted.  Dog didn´t give no care about Vin or his horse. 

Vin said the dang ambusher made the mistake of going for his gun.  The black devil of a dog jumped up and latched onto the horse´s flank.  Tore it clean through.  The horse screamed again and threw itself at the dog.   

The rider had fallen somewhere in there under the feet of his own horse. 

Vin said that was all he remembered.  One moment Bo was tearing strips of flesh from the horse and the next he woke up in Nathan´s clinic. 

The others had all turned and stared at Bo at that point.   The dog just stared back at them, then yawned and lay over on his side, like he ain´t got a care in the world.

Then Vin yawned and Nathan hustled them out of the clinic. 

That´s how they came to be standing out here in the sun. 

Josiah had disappeared to the church roof.  The echo of his hammer was some how soothing.  JD liked the sound.

Dunne kept his eyes on Buck.  Chris seemed lost in his thoughts as well.  Probably trying to figure out if they should hunt down the rest of the gang and find out how many might be involved.

JD´s musing were cut short cut when Buck spoke.  He turned around and stared at Chris and then turned his attention to the sheriff.

“JD go take Beau out. He needs a walk,”  Wilmington stared at the clinic door.  His voice had lost its laughing charm, “don´t need him making a mess in there.”

JD stood up to comply.  It would be good for Bo to get out.  Sides he should get a steak or something for saving Vin like he did.

As Dunne headed in through the door, Buck´s voice stopped him again, “And JD put him on tether when you take him out.”

A leash?  Put Bo on the end of a leash?  He ain´t been on one since those first two weeks way back when.  Why now?

Dunne paused for just a bit but Chris spoke up.  His voice sounded tired, weary, “Jist do it JD.”

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