Vin Tanner stared out over the plains, looking for any evidence of the escaped prisoners. The sun was hot and brutal, baking the land and washing away the color. Seeing nothing obvious, he collapsed his spyglass and tucked it away. He adjusted his hat and settled back against the rocks, a non-descript figure dressed all in tan, fading into the rocks along the hillside.
He knew they were out there since they hadn't been smart enough to hide their trail. They were in a hurry and not thinking straight. Their horse's shoes left clear marks on the rocky ground for Vin to follow. Unfocusing his eyes slightly, he settled in and waited for any sign of movement to cross his field of vision, sending him a signal as to the men's location. A brief shift in the landscape to his left had him turning his head and refocusing his gaze on a small jackrabbit dodging a diving hawk. The hawk missed its prey but Vin knew that he wasn't going to miss his. He wouldn't give up until he found the men that had shot Buck Wilmington in the back.
Earlier That Morning
The sky edged from darkness into light as Buck Wilmington pulled his collar higher around his neck. If it hadn't been for the damn Peterson boys causing trouble he'd have been snuggled up to Blossom this morning instead of riding watch.
Buck looked around and decided to take one more pass through Spooky Hollow, just to be sure. He grinned at the thought of the stories he could tell JD about how Spooky Hollow got its name. He might even get the kid out there in the middle of the night and see if he could scare him.
Lost in thoughts of teasing JD, Buck heard the sound of a gun being cocked an instant too late. The bullet slammed into his shoulder from behind, sending him head first over his horse's shoulder. His foot didn't clear the stirrup and his leg twisted as he fell. His horse, spooked by the sound of the gunshot, took off on a frightened run dragging Buck along several feet until his boot bounced free. He rolled to a stop, not moving.
"Ya jes' couldn't wait, could ya? Idiot. A coupla minutes more and we'd a had the horse. Now ya killed the feller
and we're still on foot."
"How's I s'posed to know that the horse'd take off like that?"
Alex Peterson took off his hat and slapped his brother on the head with it. "Ya wouldn't know 'cause yer an idiot. Ma knew ya were one from the day ya were born. Told Abel and me that we'd always have ta look out fer ya since yer too stupid to do it yerself."
"I ain't stupid and I ain't an idiot. Who figgered a way outta that jail in Canyon City? Huh? Who?" Andy shoved his thumb into his chest for emphasis, "Me, that's who."
"Shut up, the both of ya. I got to think." Abel Peterson walked cautiously forward, approaching the still form of the man that Andy had shot.
"He dead?"
Abel kicked the man's boot and when he got no response, he bent down and pulled the man's gun free from his holster. Twirling the cylinder, he turned to his brothers and said, "Looks like I got me a new gun."
"Is he dead? I ain't never kilt no one 'fore."
Abel looked back at the man and looked him over. His chest was rising and falling slightly. "Nah, he ain't dead. Yet."
Alex approached his kneeling brother and said, "Can I have his boots?"
"I 'spose. His rig's mine," Abel replied.
Andy, not to be outdone by his two older brothers, marched up to the unconscious man and said, "I'm callin' his coat then."
Alex slapped his brother again and said, "Ya fool. Ya put a hole in his coat. What good's a coat with a bullet hole gonna do ya?"
"'K, then I'll jes' take his hat." Andy reached down and jerked the hat free from the man's head, nearly strangling him in the process.
When they had picked the body clean, they headed off on foot, in search of some horses.
None of them heard Buck Wilmington groan as the fire, lit in his shoulder, consumed him.
Vin was slouched down in his seat outside the hotel, sipping coffee from a battered tin cup. He was waiting for Buck to get back before heading out on his watch. He decided to enjoy the morning and the coffee until it was time to go. The sound of JD's raised voice had his head turning. He watched as JD tried to convince Chris and Josiah of something as they walked toward the hotel.
"I'm tellin' you, there's somethin' wrong. Buck was supposed to be back hours ago."
"JD, Buck probably just stopped off somewhere to wish one of his paramours a good morning. There's no reason to be worried yet."
"Josiah, Buck was supposed to be back by sun-up. It's long past that."
"It's just like Buck to be operating on his own time. If he's not back by noon, then we'll go looking." Chris's tone brought an end to JD's protests.
The pounding of hooves had the four men turning to look down the street. The sight of Buck's horse galloping in, riderless, brought them all to action at once. Vin tossed his cup to boardwalk and ran into the street to intercept the slowing animal.
"Whoa, boy. Easy." Vin put his hands up as the animal reared slightly in front of him.
"Josiah, get Nathan and Ezra," Chris said, never taking his eyes off of the horse.
JD ran toward Vin, spooking the animal and once again causing him to rear. Vin tighted his hold the reins. JD ran his hands over a dark stain on the horse's flank. The same stain was on his saddle.
"Blood." JD paled and yelled at Chris, "I told you somethin' was wrong. You wouldn't listen to me."
Vin quietly said, "We don't know what happened yet, JD. Might not be Buck's."
JD held up his blood stained fingers to the approaching men and then looked Chris in the eye, "We've got to go find him, Chris."
At Chris's nod, the men all headed toward the livery. His next words stopped all of them except JD, who was running far ahead of the rest.
"Ezra, Josiah, you two stay here. Someone has to be in town in case the Peterson boys head this way."
"Chris...."
Chris held up his hand to halt Ezra's protest, "I know. We all want to go but I need Nathan in case he's injured and I don't think JD'll stay behind, do you?" When Ezra and Josiah both shook their heads, Chris turned to Vin, "Think you can find him? Fast?"
Vin nodded and turned the reins of Buck's horse over to Ezra. Nathan, Chris and Vin met JD coming out of the barn, leading the horses.
Buck was sure he was dead. He'd never expected that being dead would hurt so much. And he was burning up too. Heaven wasn't supposed to be hot. Maybe he'd gone to hell instead. The corner of his mouth quirked up at that thought. How many times had he heard someone say 'Go to hell, Buck Wilmington'? He guessed they'd been right.
He tried to open his eyelids but the bright light had him closing them quickly. In his brief glimpse of his surroundings, he thought he'd seen the green of leaves on a tree and that sound he heard was from some crows somewhere nearby. All of this told him that apparently he wasn't dead. Buck relaxed in relief and tried to remember what happened.
He was riding watch for something, someone. The Peterson boys. That was it and he'd been thinking about telling JD ghost stories when he'd been shot. Someone had shot him in the back! Buck tried to sit up but when the pain stabbed straight through him, he lay back against the ground with a loud groan. The throbbing in his shoulder intensified. 'That wasn't too smart, Bucklin,' he thought. He could feel the sticky wetness grow across his back. He must be bleeding pretty bad.
Several things occurred to him all at once. His boots and hat were gone. With his good hand, he reached down to his hip and cursed, his gun and rigging were gone too. How humiliating. A real man was supposed to die with his boots on.
He kept his breathing shallow, trying to ease the pain. He wanted to tell the crows, Josiah's crows, to get the hell away because he wasn't dead yet. His friends would find him. His friends. He started thinking about the men that had joined together to work for Judge Travis. If he died, who'd take care of the kid? JD needed him. So did Chris, he just didn't know it.
Then suddenly, he laughed out loud except that it came out more as a strangled cough. He'd always thought that if it ever came time that he knew he was dying, he'd be thinking about all of the women he'd loved and regretting the ones he hadn't gotten around to loving yet. Instead, he lay there in the burning sun, thinking of six men who had become like brothers to him. The irony of it had him grinning.
And that's how they found him. Lying under the hot sun. Grinning.
"And here we thought you might be needing some help, Buck. Instead, you look like you just set down for a nap."
Buck turned his head toward the sound of Chris Larabee's voice. Were you supposed to imagine hearing a friend's voices when you were dying? He opened his eyes, shading them with his hand and realized he wasn't imagining things. There stood Chris, Vin, Nathan and JD looking down at him. He was never so happy to see anyone.
"Yer a sorry sight, Bucklin."
"Had a spot of trouble, Vin. You fellas didn't happen to see anyone out there wearing my boots and hat? Got my gun too."
JD rushed to kneel at Buck's side and reaching down, he tried to pull him up when Nathan's voice stopped him.
"Don't move him, JD. I want to take a look at that wound and I don't want it to start bleedin' again."
"Hey there, Nathan. I knew you were anxious to practice your doctorin' so I decided to oblige ya."
"Don't go to so much trouble next time, Buck," Nathan said with a grin.
Buck chuckled and as it turned into a cough, Nathan tried to slide his shoulder free of his jacket. Buck hissed at the pain.
"No exit wound. Bullet's still in there," Nathan said to no one in particular. To Chris he said, "We need to get him back to town so I can get it out."
Chris nodded to Nathan and tried not to think about his friend laying there, covered in blood. He turned to watch Vin, who was walking around the area, looking at the ground.
"Three men. On foot." Vin looked up at Chris and tucking his left thumb in his gunbelt, he pointed with his free hand, "Headed out that way."
"You follow them. We'll get Buck back to town. Leave a trail that we can follow and Josiah, Ezra and I will join you." Chris said as he walked towards Vin.
"I'm goin' too." JD stood and called to Chris.
Chris turned back and looked at JD. He appeared to be weighing his decision when he nodded his head and JD nodded in return. Chris turned back to Vin and in a low voice, he said, "Don't lose 'em. I want these bastards. Alive, so the judge can hang 'em."
Vin nodded and looked over to where Nathan had Buck sitting up. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Buck's shirt soaked with blood. "I'll find 'em. Can't guarantee the alive part though."
"Try." Chris exchanged a handshake with Vin before turning back to help Nathan.
Vin quickly mounted his horse and turned to ride out when Buck's voice stopped him.
"Find 'em, Vin. I want my stuff back."
Vin grinned at Buck and said, "Maybe it's time you get yerself a new hat. One jes' like JD's."
Buck looked over at JD and then back at Vin. "Hell no. I ain't wearing no sissy hat. I want my own back."
"Sissy hat?...."
Vin turned and rode out as the sound of Buck and JD arguing followed him.
Later that day
And so here he sat watching. The sun had traveled low in the sky when the rustle of grass behind him had Vin turning with his gun drawn. He instinctively aimed and was ready to pull the trigger when JD's hands shot straight up in the air. The air hissed out of Vin's lungs through his clenched teeth.
"You sneak up on a man like that, yer libel to git yerself shot, JD." Vin lowered the weapon slowly, stretching his neck, trying to let the rush subside. He spoke over JD's protests, "Git down. You want 'em ta see ya?"
JD dropped to the ground and crawled forward. "Where are they? Do you see them?" He lifted his head, trying to see past Vin down into the flat land below.
Vin looked over at JD and pointed to his right. "See that group 'a rocks down there?" When JD nodded, he continued, "The smoke from behind 'em? I've sat an' watched 'em for nigh on half a day now. I'm pretty shure they ain't goin' nowheres. Fools don't know 'nuff to keep their fire low. Where's Chris?"
"Oh. He and Josiah and Ezra are back a piece. They'll be here soon. I rode on ahead to see if you found them."
Vin nodded his head and quietly asked, "How's Buck?"
JD looked at Vin, who had turned his head to watch the smoke from the campfire below, and said, "Nathan said he's gonna be fine. Told him he'd have another scar to dazzle the ladies with. You know Buck."
Vin grinned and nodded at JD. He relaxed a little. He sat back and watched the glow from the fire below grow stronger as the sunlight grew weaker, spilling across the sky coloring it with a crimson wash. Vin decided he might have enjoyed the whole sight a lot more if he weren't on the trail of the would-be killers below. Buck being all right didn't change the fact that the three men below were going to pay for shooting him and leaving him out to die.
So now two men sat watching over the plain, where there had been one before. After a short while, JD looked over at Vin and marveled at his stillness. The blood was rushing through him in anticipation of avenging Buck and yet Vin sat there, calm, never seeming to move. Did he even blink?
When JD shifted his position for what seemed like the thousandth time to Vin, Vin sighed and said, in a low voice, "JD, iff'n ya don't sit still, I'm gonna tie ya ta that tree over yonder." He turned his head and glanced at JD from under the brim of his hat.
JD looked back at Vin and stopped. He leaned forward and whispered, "How can you just sit here and not do nuthin'? The men who shot Buck are down there. Why can't we just go get 'em?"
Vin sighed again. His eyes never left the smoky trail of the campfire below as he answered JD, "'Cause Chris and the rest ain't here yet." Vin held up his hand before JD could protest, and continued, "It'll be easier to take 'em alive with more men. We don't know what we're gettin' inta. They have horses now. Need ta even up the odds a bit."
JD opened his mouth to answer and then thought about what Vin said. Alive. Chris had said he wanted the men alive so that the Judge could hang them. JD sat back and said, "I figure the Judge'll add horse thieving to the charges. When we got back to town, we found out that they stole those horses from Jeb Alder. Must have been sometime after they shot Buck."
Vin nodded and turned as the sound of Josiah's voice preceded the soft footsteps signaling the other men's arrival. JD and Vin turned to watch Josiah, Ezra and Chris crouch low and approach the edge of the hillside.
"They out there?" Chris looked at Vin and saw the direction of his nod. He turned and watched their campfire flicker in the night.
The men on the hillside tensed as the sound of a gunshot rang out, fracturing the growing night's silence. A second shot followed by the sound of breaking glass and the faint rumble of laughter brought a slow smile to Chris Larabee's face. He glanced at Josiah and Ezra and then back at Vin and said, "Sounds like quite a party. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go invite ourselves."
Shared grins accompanied a quick check of their weapons as JD ran to gather the horses. They mounted and picked a careful path down to the plain below, quietly moving to surround the campsite of the unsuspecting escaped prisoners.
Crouched on the edge of the campsite and keeping his eyes averted from the fire, Vin whispered, "Yep, thems the Peterson boys that escaped from up Canyon City way. Sheriff there said that Abel Peterson was the one to watch out fer. From his description, it's the fella playin' with Buck's gun."
JD leaned forward and said, "That one..." He dropped his voice to a low whisper when Chris put his finger to his lips, "...on the left is wearing Buck's hat."
Chris nodded and motioned Ezra and Josiah to the left. Turning to Vin and JD, he pointed to his right just as the fight broke out among the three brothers.
"Gimme the bottle, Alex. It's my turn." Andy stretched out his hand towards his brother and wiggled his fingers.
"Hell, you ain't old enough to drink yet. Mebbe we shoulda stole us some milk for the little one here, Abel." Alex giggled and lifted the bottle to his lips again, dribbling whiskey down his chin as he drank. He let out a shout when the bottle shattered in his hand, cascading glass and whiskey down over his face. He sputtered as he looked over Abel, who was grinning and twirling a smoking gun around his finger. "What the hell you do that fer? Wasted a good bottle a whiskey."
Abel twirled the gun one more time and rammed it into the holster strapped to his hip. He widened his stance and tucked his thumbs into his gunbelt as he lifted his chin.
"Leave Andy alone, Alex. Ma said to jes leave 'im be long as he don't hurt no one."
"I ain't no little baby needin' milk. I'm the one who shot that feller this morning an' that makes me a man. Now, I want some whiskey."
"Shootin' a feller don't make ya a man, ya idiot," Alex looked over at his little brother. "A fiesty woman," he grinned, "Now that'll make a man out a ya. We got to git ourselves to a town with some wimmen, Abel."
"Shut up Alex. I make the plans 'round here. I don't want ta explain ta ma why I had ta shoot ya."
"You think you can take me, Abel?" Whiskey had made Alex brave and he pictured finally ramming Abel's face into the dirt. He hitched his pants up, wiping the back of his hand under his nose as he sniffed.
"Hell, I know I can."
Alex grinned and lifted his hand to crook a taunting finger at his brother. When Abel unbuckled the gunbelt and handed it to Andy, Alex adjusted his footing and crouched down, spreading his arms in a wrestling stance. The brothers began to circle one another in the firelight.
Andy sat up with a grin and rubbed his hands together. There was going to be a fight. He rubbed his palms down his thighs and thought that he might just take on the winner. As Alex slammed headfirst into Abel's stomach, sending both of them to the ground, Andy stood up and decided not to wait and dove on top of his two brothers.
Chris gave Vin, who had yet to move, a disgusted look. "If we wait, they'll kill themselves before the judge has the chance to hang them."
Vin grinned at Chris. "Looks like the Peterson boys are their own worst enemies." Vin looked back at the wrestling trio, "At least they're unarmed. We bes' git 'em now."
Chris nodded and motioned to Josiah and Ezra. Five men quickly stepped into the camp, illuminated by firelight, moving to surround the mass of wrestling bodies. Josiah bent down and picked up Buck's gun and tucked it under his arm.
Ezra rolled his eyes at the sight before him just as Andy Peterson let out a howl and sat up.
"You pulled my hair, ya moron."
Before he could dive back in on top of his brothers. Ezra reached down and hauled him up by the collar of his coat. Andy let out a squeak of surprise.
"I believe this is Mr. Wilmington's hat," Ezra said as he grabbed the brim of the hat and lifted it off of Andy's head. "It certainly looks as if it has seen better times. Son, I wouldn't want to be you when Buck finds out what you've done to his beloved hat."
Chris nodded to Josiah and looked at Vin and JD. The other two Peterson boys were oblivious to what was going on as they continued to wrestle in the dirt. Alex managed to twist his brother beneath him and was just about to slam his face into the ground when Josiah, who had handed Buck's gun and rigging to JD, reached down and lifted him off of the ground.
"Hey, what're ya doin'? I had him. I was finally gonna beat 'im. Lemme go." Alex started struggling in earnest, arms flailing, trying to get back down to finish the fight. Victory was close, he could tell.
"They're be plenty of time for that where your goin', son." Josiah looked over at Chris and grinned as he shook his head.
As Abel started to turn over, his arm snaked out, trying to grab Vin's leg. Vin stomped down hard on Abel's wrist, ignoring his shout of pain. He cocked his rifle and pressed it against the back of Abel's neck, "I wouldn't iff'n I were you. Sit up slow now." Vin stepped back, never moving his gaze or aim.
"Hey, Chris, that one's wearing Buck's boots." JD pointed at the man that Josiah was effortlessly holding just off the ground.
"Take 'em off."
Alex twisted his head to look at the giant of a man, who had just growled at him, and he swallowed hard. "Uh, can you put me down first?"
Josiah looked him up and down before he released him, allowing Alex to fall into a heap at his feet. "Take 'em off. Now."
Alex scrambled to remove the boots and hand them up to the mountain of a man towering over him. Josiah turned and handed Buck's boots to JD.
"You boys have anything else that doesn't belong to you?"
Alex quickly shook his head as he stood up and cowered slightly away from Josiah. "No sir, we don't."
"Well, them horses ain't ours."
"Shut up, Andy," Abel said as Vin reached down and hauled him to his feet. He jerked away from Vin's hold, trying to straighten his coat. "Who are you fellas and whatta ya want with us?"
"You shot a friend of ours in the back, then you robbed him of his things and left him to die." Chris ground his teeth together at the thought of what might have happened.
"Now, we jes' found those things. They was jes' layin' right there. We didn't see nobody and we didn't shoot nobody." Able dusted his sleeves off and drew himself up to his full height.
"That's not what that one said a bit ago," Vin said as he gestured toward Andy.
"That's just our brother Andy. He likes to talk jes' ta hear his own voice. He didn't know what he was sayin'. We didn't shoot nobody and you cain't prove nuthin'."
"Don't have to," Chris Larabee smiled a smile guaranteed to make a guilty man nervous. "JD, get the rope."
The word 'rope' got the three men's attention. Abel spoke first, "Now wait a minute. Ya can't jes' hang a man with no proof."
"Those horses over there are stolen. They carry the Alder mark and I know Jeb didn't sell them to you." Chris waited a beat before continuing, "We hang horse thieves in these parts."
"Now wait. Wait." Abel rushed towards Chris but halted just short of him at the sound of several guns being cocked. He threw his hands up in the air. "Don't shoot now. We, uh, got a bounty on us. We're worth money to ya."
"Most bounties say dead or alive. Dead pays just as well. Less trouble," Vin drawled as Abel turned his wide-eyed gaze toward the man in buckskin.
"Mebbe you and me can work a deal," Abel said as he took a step closer to the man in black and turned his uncertain gaze away from Vin.
"What kind of deal? You don't have anything that I want." Out of the corner of his eye, Chris saw Josiah grab a hold of Alex Peterson as he tried to back away from the campfire. Chris grinned again.
"It was Andy who shot yer friend and he stole the horses too. It was all his plan. Me and my brother Alex had nuthin' to do with it. Right, Alex?"
Chris passed an amused look to Ezra as Andy erupted, "Abel, yer a liar. And Ma said you had ta take care of me. She won't like this at all."
"Sorry, Andy. Ya knew better than ta shoot a man in the back and then go off and steal someone else's property. We been followin' yer lead long enough. If they have to punish ya fer what ya done, we'll tell ma ya had a real nice hangin'." Abel started feeling confident that he had everything under control and his survival was assured.
"I didn't steal no horses. Abel makes the plans and he stoled the horses with Alex's help. I jes' shot yer friend by accident." Andy looked at the man in the dark red jacket for sympathy, "It was an accident, honest. I ain't never shot no one 'fore."
"Ah, brotherly love. There's nothing like it, Mr. Larabee," Ezra grinned at Chris as Abel flinched at the name Larabee. "I believe, sir, you said earlier that you were the one who made the plans around here. And seeing as how you had Mr. Wilmington's weapon in your possession," Ezra continued speaking to Abel, "and your other brother over there was wearing our friend's boots, well, in the eyes of the law that makes you both as guilty as this one here."
Abel looked less certain of the situation at the fancy man's words and even less certain now that he knew the man in black was the infamous Chris Larabee.
"Tie 'em up, Vin. I've had enough of these three." Chris turned towards the horses as Vin grabbed Abel and started to wrap the rope around his hands. "Wait, you cain't jes' hang us, Mr. Larabee, sir. We done hear that you're a fair man." Chris turned back and grinned at that statement causing Abel to stutter his next words, "Y-ya cain't jes' hang us."
"We ain't gonna hang ya. Yer gonna git a fair trial in front of the judge. It's more of a chance than ya gave our friend." Vin tested the knots and then shoved Abel in Chris's direction before making short work of tying up the other two men, in preparation for their ride back to town.
Four men sat out on the hotel boardwalk, enjoying the relative silence. Ezra was working his deck of cards while Josiah sat next to him, reading. Chris leaned his head back and reflected on the events from a couple of days earlier. All in all, the trip back into town had been uneventful. He had just about decided that he would have preferred an all out shooting match to the incessant whining of the three prisoners. He grinned as he thought that on more than one occasion during the trip, he'd entertained the notion of shooting them just to shut them up. Vin had it right, sometimes dead was easier. Chris sighed, shifted in his seat and looked over at the tracker stretched out in his chair, his eyes slightly closed, completely relaxed.
The fast pounding of footsteps had all of them turning their heads to see JD running towards them.
"Buck here yet?"
"Not yet. I 'spect him any minute though. He was up and dressed when I left him in the clinic this morning." Ezra concentrated on splitting the deck with one hand as he spoke.
"Maybe he needs help. Maybe I should..."
JD looked down at Vin as he spoke, "Nathan'll have 'im here soon enough."
Just as Vin had finished, the sound of feminine laughter filled the air. They turned in time to see Buck strolling down the street, accompanied by several ladies and stopping to talk with a few more. His face held a comically wounded expression as they fussed over his sling and bandages. Nathan, having been pushed to the side, stood with his hands on his hips and a smile on his face as he watched his patient carefully.
"Only Buck could figure out a way to turn a bullet wound into a way to attract the ladies." Chris grinned at Vin when the younger man shook his head in agreement.
"I see you boys are jes' sittin' around, doin' nuthin' while waitin' for me," Buck announced as he finally made it to the hotel. The ladies had been sent on their way, their minds swarming with ideas to pamper poor Buck Wilmington. Buck had assured them that all he needed was the delicate touch of a woman to speed his healing and he would be as good as new. This assured that pies would be baked, chickens fried and bread set to rise all in an effort to restore him to his good health. "Iff'n your nice, I'll share in the bounty I am about to receive. The ladies love me." Buck shot a dirty look at Ezra's indelicate snort of laughter.
Nathan pressed Buck into a chair. He was still weak from the gunshot and Nathan didn't intend for Buck's health to backslide.
"See ya haven't got yerself another hat yet, Bucklin." Vin looked at Buck with a slight smile on his face.
"I can't believe you fellas found my gun and my boots but not my hat. I loved that hat." Buck pressed his free hand over his heart. "What in the hell would they have done with my hat?"
"We looked but we just couldn't find it anywhere. But hey, Buck, we all chipped in and bought you a new one." JD reached for the paper box under Josiah's chair and presented it to Buck as the others looked on.
"Y'all bought me a new hat?" At his friend's nods, Buck was visibly touched. "Why, I don't know what to say, boys. I'm speechless." Buck lifted the lid on the box and stopped. His mouth opened and closed, several times, as if searching for the right words. He lifted the brand new bowler hat out of the box and turned it around in his hand.
"It's just like mine, Buck. Try it on." JD walked forward and took the hat out of Buck's hand and settled it on his head. "Perfect. See, didn't I tell you fellas it'd be perfect for Buck?"
"You were right, JD. Buck, you look downright handsome in that hat." Josiah said with complete seriousness.
"It's the height of fashion, Mr. Wilmington."
Buck reached up and tore the hat off of his head and threw it at Ezra. "Well then why don't you wear it, Ezra? I ain't wearin' no sissy hat. Rather go without."
"Now don't go gettin' excited, Buck. You're still recovering." Nathan spoke a little stronger when he realized Buck wasn't paying any attention, "Calm down."
Ezra picked up the hat that had landed on the table and scattered his cards. He carefully poked out the dents and set it back on the table with a smile. "Perhaps in the interest of Mr. Wilmington's health and Nathan's good will, we should end the charade."
"What're talkin' about Ezra? What charade?" Buck sharpened his gaze on Ezra.
"Well, we weren't entirely truthful..."
"What Ezra's tryin' ta say, Buck, is that we found yer hat." Vin had pulled the box from beneath his chair and lifted the lid. He grinned as he pulled the hat out and handed it to Buck.
"My hat!" Buck looked the hat over carefully before settling it on his head. "I knew you fellas were just hoaxin' me. I knew you had my hat all along."
"You did not, Buck..." JD argued.
"I did too, son. You boys can't pull one over on ol' Buck."
"You didn't know a thing. You thought we really couldn't find..."
"You don't know nothin', JD..."
Chris watched Buck and JD argue with a smile. The comfortable laughter of the other four men, who were also watching, mingled with their friendly banter. Things were finally back to normal in Four Corners, back to the way they should be. He stretched out in his chair and decided to join in.
The End
