The Way Home

Dinner was ready �bout an� hour before dark, but Slim an� Andy weren�t back yet. Jess was dozing on the couch, so he didn�t know, but Jonesy was nervous as a flea on a dog in deep water.

�Now, Slim�s been known to miss a meal here an� there, but that Andy don�t miss dinner for nothin�,� Jonesy said, shaking his head and running his hand through his gray hair.

�You want me to ride out an� get �em, Mister Jonesy?�

�Naw, they�ll be along directly.� He didn�t really sound convinced.

When they weren�t back in an hour, I was goin� whether Jonesy said to or not. I was getting� my hat off the rack on the wall when Jess woke up suddenly. I tried to be quiet, but he musta sensed somethin� was wrong.

�Where you goin�, Macy?� He looked around the room while he asked. �Where�s Slim?�

�He an� Andy ain�t back yet. I�m just headin� out to go fetch �em to supper.� I tried to sound like I was just takin� a stroll down to the creek. Jess was sharp though, he didn�t believe a word of it.

He pulled back the white lace curtain an� looked out the window at the darkening sky, �What time is it?�

�Just after seven.�

He got up an� threw off the afghan that Jonesy had put over him awhile earlier. He was still stiff, but his movements were purposeful and graceful. Before I knew what he was about, he had grabbed his gunbelt and was strapping it on and buckling it.

�No, Jess. You can�t, you ain�t got yer strength back yet.� I tried to make him sit back down, but he was havin� none of it.

�Don�t try an� stop me, Macy. I�m real grateful to you for what you done, but I ain�t gonna just lay here while Slim and Andy could be in trouble.�

I could see there weren�t no use in arguing with him. Short of knocking him out, I couldn�t stop him. We both reached for the door at the same time. We froze, then I grabbed the handle and opened it. Outside, we saw Jonesy comin� from the barn leading a saddled horse.

�Now just where do you think you�re going?� Jess asked.

�Well now, I could ask you the same thing. You shouldn�t oughta be outta bed yet.�

�Gimme that horse, Jonesy. You know where I�m goin�.�

Jonesy automatically handed the reins over without a word. There was something in Jess� tone that told us both that he was bound and determined and nothin� was gonna get in his way.

Just then we all turned as one when we heard the sound of a horse comin� in at full gallop. It was only a few seconds before Andy come ridin� up, his horse coming to a halt just short of the front porch. Andy was out of breath, and tears were streaming down his face when he slid off the animal and right into Jess� arms. Jess led Andy to the porch and sat down with him on the boards at the corner.

With his arm around Andy�s shoulders, he asked, �Andy, what happened? Where�s Slim?�

Andy was still breathin� too hard to talk just yet. Jess patiently sat with him and rubbed circles on his back until the boy calmed down enough to tell us.

Andy swiped a shirt sleeve over his eyes. �They have him. They want you to come, Jess.� Andy was still gasping.

�Who has him, Andy?�

�Those two deputies Macy told us about. They�re here.�

Jess� head snapped up and he locked eyes with mine. Instant understanding, and not a little bit of fear flashed between us.

Jess turned back to the boy and with his deep voice carefully controlled, he said, �Andy, tell me exactly what they said.�

Andy swallowed a few times and then started, �They said they would kill Slim at dawn if you didn�t come and turn yourself over to them, with the bag.�

�Bag? They said with the bag?�

Andy looked up at Jess, his eyes glistening with tears. �What bag are they talkin� about, Jess?�

�How did they find us?� I said to no one in particular.

Andy looked up at me. �It was Abe. They said Abe told them.�

�Abe�s not dead?�

�Well, he wasn�t. Slim asked them about that and one of them said he went back for him to bury the body, and found him still alive. Abe didn�t know who it was and he musta known he was dying �cause he asked him to find his parents in Laramie and tell them. Then he asked if Jess was from here too, and�� Andy sniffed real big.

�That�s okay, Andy. I know the rest.� Jess said quietly. �Was Slim alright when you left?�

Andy didn�t answer, just nodded his head.

Jess used the porch post to pull himself up. �Jonesy, take Andy inside.�

Andy stood up and looked like he was going to argue, but Jonesy pulled him back and wrapped both arms around him from the back. Jess reached out and put a hand on the boys face and wiped away some of the tears that were still there. �We�ll get him back, Andy, don�t you worry none.�

Jess turned toward the horse and checked the cinch. He hopped up to put his left foot in the stirrup, an� mounted, but I could see in his face how much pain that cost him.

I knew better than to protest, but I could at least go with him. I headed for the barn and shouted back over my shoulder, �Andy, I�m takin� one of your horses. Tuck ain�t fast enough.�

By the time I had saddled and come back out, Andy was nowhere in sight and Jonesy was just comin� out of the house with a rifle in his hand. He tossed it up to me without a word, along with a leather bag of shells. I turned my horse and took off, following Jess� dust trail.

I caught up to him about a mile from the ranch. He had been cantering along, hanging back for me, but as soon as I rode up along side, he took off at a full gallop. Since I didn�t know where we was goin� I just pointed the horse in the same direction and held on. After about fifteen minutes we had to slow down. It was getting� too dark to see the trail and we didn�t want the horses fallin�, or steppin� in holes �er nothin�.

�Jess, you got a plan when we get there?�

He pulled up and turned in his saddle to look over at me, �Yeah, I plan on getting� Slim back.� The way he was settin� up unnaturally straight, I could tell his ribs was painin� him.

His steely gaze woulda sent shivers down my back if I didn�t know he was friendly towards me. I sure wouldn�t want to be in Jake and Early�s boots though. Jess was just barely hangin� on. His hands was shaking, an� it weren�t from fear neither. He was weak, barely able to sit the saddle. His breathing was a bit more labored than woulda been normal for him. Naturally, he would be better off home in bed, but there weren�t no one or no thing that could keep him from doin� what he had to do.

He didn�t move his horse further anymore, but he swung off and led the horse by its lead over to a clearing. He pulled his rifle from the scabbard by the saddle and then let the horse go with a slap to its rump. I figgered we must be at the end of the trail, so I did the same.

�We walk the rest of the way. The place Andy said they were is just past those trees over there.�

He started out walkin� quietly. He wasn�t movin� fast, but he was quiet. I tried to do the same. I stayed behind Jess to watch his back an� let him lead the way. After a few minutes, I could hear voices, and there was the glow of a fire through the trees.

I reckon Jake an� Early just expected Jess to ride in and present himself for them. They wasn�t takin� no precautions that I could see. We approached the camp, and then I saw, a split second after Jess did, that I was wrong. They had taken one precaution, and I guess they felt like they could relax �cause there�s no way Jess woulda shot up their camp.

�Guess we didn�t knock enough sense into that head o� yorn, Harper.� Jake said. They knew we was there, even though we were still hidden.

There was no use hidin� anymore, so Jess stepped out into the open. He kept his rifle in his hand, but held it out from his body. I didn�t move just yet in case they didn�t know I was there too.

Jess took a few paces in toward the campfire. �You alright, Slim?�

�Yeah, I�m alright. Be careful, Jess.� Slim was sitting on his horse, under a tree. His hands were tied behind his back and there was a rope around his neck. A noose. The other end was looped over a branch about fifteen feet up and tied off on a branch just below it. There wasn�t no slack in that rope at all. Slim was sittin� up real tall and straight to keep the rope from cuttin� into his neck. The horse was close to the fire, but not close enough to burn. It also wasn�t tethered in any way. It�s lead was laying loose on the ground. One move to make it nervous, or one loud noise, and it would bolt.

�That you back in those bushes there, Macy?�

That was Early. He was pickin� his teeth with a long huntin� knife. I put my rifle down and stepped out beside Jess.

Early stopped pickin� his teeth and looked me in the eye. �I owe you for that knock on the head you give me Macy. I plan to take it out of your hide.�

�I�ll be happy to oblige you, Early.�

I glanced over at Jess. His eyes were riveted to Slim�s. His face was pale and sweaty. He only shifted his eyes when Jake spoke directly to him.

�You bring the bag?�

Jess very carefully and smoothly moved toward the fire and kept his voice low. �I think you know I don�t have it.�

�I don�t know nothin� of the sort. You took it from our dear departed sheriff and we come to fetch it for the good of the town of Kane�

Jess squatted down and laid his rifle down in the dirt beside him real careful like. He seemed to be moving in slow motion. �You came to fetch your scapegoat so you can have me convicted and you can keep the payroll for yourself without anyone being the wiser. Even your partner here.�

Early�s beadie eyes flickered over to Jake and then back to Jess as Jess continued. �What�d you do, get the Marshal to put out a warrant for me so you could bring me back legal? Maybe shoot me while trying to escape?�

Jake stood up suddenly. Slim�s horse jerked and took a few steps backward. I watched Slim�s face, which looked like stone. Jess didn�t venture a glance in Slim�s direction. He held Jake�s gaze with one of his own that, I swanny, could melt lead.

�Didn�t he tell you, Early?� Jess paused, breathing hard. He looked like he might fall down any minute. �Didn�t he tell you he took the payroll from Mantle and hid it? He�s been foolin� you this whole time. Lyin� to you. Dragging you along on a wild goose chase. Probably gonna kill you, too. Or, make it look like I did.�

Jess� words had Early thinkin�, which was not a natural thing for him to do, so he had to work at it. Finally, he spoke up, looking up at Jake from his place by the fire. �Is that true, Jake? What he�s sayin�?�

Jake spat back at him, �Of course it ain�t. He�s lyin� to try to save his neck. And his friend�s.�

I was mighty proud of Jess, thinkin� of all that and sayin� those things. Even if they weren�t all true, he managed to pull Jake�s attention away from Slim, and get Early thinkin� Jake wasn�t on his side after all. While I was standing there, like an oaf trying to decide what to do next, several things happened all at once.

It was like a stage play all done in slow motion. I was an observer and a participant all at once.

Early stood up and held his knife out to Jake, not to give it to him, but to skewer him with. He was shouting something that I didn�t hear because of the rushing in my ears. Jake whirled on Early and shot him point-blank in the belly. Early only looked surprised, and as he fell, the knife flew up in the air and Jake caught it. At the same time, Jess lunged for Jake, but I didn�t see what happened after that �cause I lunged for Slim.

With the shot from Jake�s gun, Slim�s horse bolted and Slim was left hanging about three feet off the ground. He was swingin� when I caught him and raised him up with all the strength I could. He was silent, but I couldn�t look up to see if he was breathin� or not. I just hung on with ever�thing I had and sent up a silent word of thanks to my folks, �er whoever it was that made me tall and strong.

Early had hit the ground and was layin� by the fire and Jess and Jake were rollin� on the ground. I saw the flash of silvery metal in Jake�s hand and I tried to shout a warning a split second before I saw that knife slash down on Jess� arm. The cloth of Jess� shirt was torn away from his shoulder to his elbow and blood began runnin� down till it was dripping off his hand.

That didn�t slow Jess down though. He had Jake around the throat and he didn�t let go until Jake brought both his hands up between them and knocked Jess� hands free. Jake then connected a hard left hook on Jess� chin and Jess went flyin� back, rolling into and out of the fire. Jake was on him again, but this time Jess reached up and used his hands and feet to flip Jake over his head. Jake landed with a grunt and was stunned long enough for Jess to get up.

Jess reached down with his good arm and pulled Jake to his feet and pushed him up against a tree. He then proceeded to pummel Jake with his good arm while his left arm dangled, until Jake went limp and slid to the ground.

After Jake fell, Jess looked like one of them marionettes that had the strings cut. He folded to the ground and landed on his knees, his chest heaving, trying to catch his breath. He seemed oblivious to the blood runnin� down his arm.

I figured I�d better get his attention real fast before he passed out. �Jess! Jess, me an� Slim need you over here.� I talked fast and loud, trying to bust through that haze of fever and exhaustion and pain that threatened to overtake Jess just any minute.

He looked over at me and saw for the first time, that Slim was hanging from the tree and the only thing between him and dyin�, was me. Jess searched the ground around him and found the knife that Jake had dropped. He shuffled over on his knees to fetch it, and then pulled himself up, using Jake�s limp body for leverage.

Jess looked like he was walking through water. He was dripping sweat, and blood and he looked like he was barely staying on his feet. Jess moved purposefully past me and found the end of the rope that was tied to the lower branch. He sawed at it a couple of times and I felt Slim�s full weight fall on me. I lowered him to the ground and pulled the rope from around his neck. He was awake and breathing. I reached around his back and untied the rope holding his hands. He immediately reached up and began rubbing his neck. Other than a red rope burn, he looked okay. He managed to squawk out a thanks, but his voice was probably gonna be pretty well shot for awhile. He was breathin� though, and that�s all that counted.

Jess had propped himself against the tree. It looked like he was fightin� a losin� battle to stay on his feet. He smiled though. Slim was sittin� up and nodded and smiled back at him.

�Uh oh� was all I managed to get out before I lunged toward Jess, and caught him before he hit the ground. He pitched forward right to me an� I caught him under the arms and lowered him to the ground, turnin� him on his back. I sat down beside him �cause I didn�t think I could stand anymore anyhow. I put Jess� head and shoulders in my lap and held onto him, afraid that he might slip away, I guess.

Slim was up and on the other side of the fire checkin� Early. He was dead. I could tell that from where I was. Slim moved over to Jake who was startin� to come around. Just as Jake opened his eyes, Slim rared back and took a mighty swing at his head, knockin� him flat. He didn�t waste any time comin� over to where I was holdin� Jess.

Slim took off his neckerchief as he sat on the ground beside us. He gently raised Jess� arm and pulled back the ragged sleeve to see the cut. There wasn�t no seein� it. There was too much blood. The entire sleeve was saturated, and blood continued to drip off Jess� fingers. Slim took his neckerchief and wrapped it tight around Jess� upper arm and tied it. I reached up an� started working Jess� neckerchief off him, and handed it to Slim as well. I didn�t have one, or I woulda used that too. Slim took it and wrapped it right below the other one. Both of them were immediately saturated. Slim took off his shirt leaving just his undershirt, and began wrapping the whole thing around Jess� arm.

�I�m going to help you get Jess on a horse, then I�m gonna ride for Laramie for the doc. Can you get him back to the ranch by yourself?�

�I sure can,� I smiled up at Slim, trying to look reassuring, even if I wasn�t really feelin� it. �We come this far together, I ain�t gonna fail him now.�

Slim reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. �You could never fail him, Macy. I don�t know what either one of us woulda done without you.�

I swallowed hard a couple of times. I couldn�t look at Slim. I didn�t want him to see the fear on my face. I looked down at Jess. He wasn�t movin�. Breathin� was all, and not much of that. The shirt wasn�t saturated yet. That was good. Maybe Slim had slowed down the bleedin�. �You better get ridin�, it�ll be slow goin� now that it�s dark. We�ll be alright.�

I stood up, bringing Jess� limp body with me. I carried him over to Jake�s horse since it was the biggest one of the five horses there. Slim helped boost me, but it was sheer muscle and determination that got me and Jess up on that horse. I�m a strong fella, always have been, but I was beginning to feel like rubber. Oh, I wasn�t hurt, but I sure did feel like I�d just run a foot race with a heard of buffalos and lost. Trampled; that�s how it felt.

Slim handed me the reins of Jess� horse and then went over an� slung Early over his own saddle. Then he went over to Jake and slung him over his shoulder and then tied him to the back of my horse. �I�ll get home as fast as I can. You take care of him, Macy.�

�Will do.� I turned Jake�s horse in the direction that Jess and I had come from and we walked home.