Homeward Bound

by Yankee01754

Slim and Jess are headed home to Laramie, after the events of License to Kill, when Jess falls ill from exhaustion, hunger and a slight fever from the wounds on his hands and wrists. They take shelter with friends of the Sherman family. Many thanks to Polly for critiquing and finding my many errors! /g/

Homeward Bound

By Yankee01754

Slim Sherman did his best to clean the wounds on his friend's wrists. They'd had little water while traveling and then trekking through the swamp outside of Willow, Colorado. Jess, already weakened by hunger, exhaustion and thirst, had slipped and fallen twice. Getting them dirty with swamp water and mud wasn't good. Jess' hands - and wrists - needed medical attention. The handcuffs, that bounty hunter turned sheriff, Sam Jarrad had made Jess wear, had already been somewhat snug. Jess' escape, by digging up the tree he was handcuffed to, had made it worse. They'd dug into, and rubbed his wrists raw. The constant seepage from his wounds were adding to his overall poor condition. Unfortunately there was no doctor to be found in Willow. The two young men were on their own with Slim doing the best he could for his friend.

After the shoot out, that left young Wilkie dead, Jess' name was finally cleared. Young Wilkie, embittered by the constant beatings and whipping he'd endured all his life, had killed his father. Now the two friends were on their way home to Laramie. At least Slim hoped they were. He didn't like the way Jess looked.

The ex-gunfighter was pale and unsteady. It didn't help that the horse he was riding wasn't his own and was, as Jess might say, fumble footed. Its gaits were horrible and it stumbled constantly. The overtired rider was having a difficult time staying on the animal's back.

Jess was a young man who was physically - and mentally - exhausted and had only one goal. He wanted to get home to Laramie as soon as possible. Home. Something he hadn't had for ten years before he'd stopped to rest himself and his horse and found himself a job, friends and a second family. Because of this, and the ordeal he'd just been through, he was setting a faster pace than he should and he was headed for trouble - taking Slim along with him.

.

"Jess!" Slim finally had to resort to yelling to get Jess' attention as they rode along at a good clip. "Jess, slow down!"

Jess looked at him bleary eyed as he reined up. "Huh?"

"I said slow down. That's not Traveler you're riding. That knot head is going to put a foot down wrong any time now and you're going to go flying over his head." The blond reached over and put a hand on his partner's shoulder. "I know you're anxious to get home - I am too - but let's get there in one piece all right?"

Briefly, Jess, abided by his friend's wish, but soon was pushing his mount again. They were taking a different route home from Willow than they had taken on the way down. Exasperated Slim had no choice but to follow as closely as possible and hope he would be able to prevent the trouble he saw coming. Especially since Jess didn't know the route they were taking. He was simply riding Northeast as fast as he could.

They were still seventy-five miles from Laramie when the inevitable happened. The horse Jess was riding stumbled and threw him - hard - to the ground. He rolled over several times before coming to rest, face down, the wind knocked out of him. Slim was beside him in seconds, gently turning him over and checking for broken bones.

Slim was disturbed by the pallor of his friend's face. The flight, and lack of food and water, of the last few days, coupled with some blood loss and possible infection, were taking their toll on the normally healthy and energetic younger man. Now, with the fall, Jess had added a new bruise to his forehead and a scrape on his cheek.

"Jess? Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I-I think so." The Texan's voice was hesitant and faint.

"That was a fool stunt! You're lucky you didn't break your neck! I told you more than once to slow down! You didn't listen and now you're hurt! We're a long way from Laramie yet. We need to find a place where you can get some sleep and some decent food - and have a doctor look at your wrists." The tall blond looked at their surroundings his face lighting up when he saw a familiar landscape. They weren't far from safety - and help.

"You know, we're only about ten miles or so from the McAllisters' place," he said to Jess. "Mrs. McAllister was a good friend of my mother's. I'm sure she'd be willing to put us up for a few days."

"No!" Jess desperately wanted to get home.

"Jess, be reasonable. You're not in any shape to ride much farther. It's days since you've had anything to eat other than maybe a handful of berries we've stumbled across. That fall you just took didn't help any." Slim was tired and stressed out. He'd had to keep Sam Jarrad and Jess - both - under control for days. One was bad enough but the two of them together, coupled with Jess's fear, and actions, had worn him down. He needed to rest as well - and he sure wouldn't mind a home cooked meal especially if neither he, nor Jess, did the cooking.

When Jess continued to protest Slim put his foot down just as he had often had to do with Andy when he was at home.

"The McAllisters are real nice folks. They've raised her niece, Cam, since she was five years old and her folks died of cholera. They'll be glad to take us in for a few days."

Slim cleaned the scrape on his cheek and then stood and reached down for his partner. Helping Jess to his feet the blond proceeded to walk them to their horses only to find out that Jess' horse had broken its leg. There was no hope for it. Resigned to what he knew he'd have to do, he eased Jess to the ground while he retrieved his rifle from the scabbard on his saddle. One shot, well placed, by Sherman's rifle, ended the animal's suffering.

"Let's get you up on my horse. The McAllisters' place isn't far. We can get something to eat and rest up for a few days before going home."

Over Harper's protests that's exactly what happened. Slim boosted Jess into the saddle, gathered up the reins and mounted behind him, keeping at least one arm in front of Jess who continued to sway dizzily.

"Slim?" Jess' voice was barely above a whisper as they continued their trek.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

Slim smiled fondly at the forlorn figure in front of him. Sometimes Jess seemed like a little boy.

"Don't worry about it. We'll be at the McAllisters' pretty soon. Mrs. McAllister will put you to bed and give you some nice hot soup - maybe some chamomile tea or something to help you sleep. If not Doc McAllister will have something to help you. He'll check you over too - make sure I didn't miss anything."

Before they had gone five miles it started to cloud up. The wind rose and smattering of raindrops started to pelt them. The weather was nasty, a cold rain falling by the time they rode into the yard of a small house at the end of a short, narrow lane. A young girl, no more than fourteen, came out of the house as they rode up to the hitching rail. Slim slid off and greeted the girl with a hug - something he wasn't prone to do except with Andy.

"Miss Ramsay, you're looking lovely as always," Slim kidded. The girl wore her long black hair in a single braid and was clad in boys pants and a yellow and black plaid shirt. Well worn, scuffed boots were on her feet.

"Hi, Slim. You're being silly," she declared with a giggle as she hugged him back. "Aunt Hannah will be happy to see you. It's been a long time since you came to visit." Spying Jess still seated on Slim's horse she asked, "Who's that with you?"

"That is precisely what I was going to ask and why are you standing in the yard - in a pouring rain with no slicker on? I thought your dear mother taught you better than that."

The speaker was a woman of fifty, who bore a strong resemblance to the girl except that her hair was strawberry blonde instead of black.

"Mrs. McAllister," the blond greeted her with a brilliant smile. "It's good to see you."

"It's always good to see you as well, Slim Sherman, but you haven't answered Cam's question - or mine." Hannah McAllister greeted the blond with a kiss on the cheek.

"This is my friend, Jess Harper."

"Mr. Harper."

"I'm sorry to bust in on you like this - unannounced," Slim said, "but Jess, here, needs a safe place to rest and get some decent food into him..I was hoping you could put us up for a few days while he recuperates."

"Nonsense Slim Sherman! You're not busting in. You know you're always welcome here. Any friend of yours is also welcome."

She took a closer look at the young Texan. Jess was hunched over the saddle just as he'd been for the last ten miles or so before they reached the McAllisters' house on the edge of a town called Evergreen.

"Slim? I don't feel so good." Jess had slumped even further over the horse's neck and was now falling forward and to the side in a dead faint.

Slim turned and took two steps, catching Jess before he hit the ground.

Hannah McAllister took charge of the situation hastily giving orders.

"Bring him in the house, out of this nasty weather. We'll put him in the small bedroom off the kitchen and have David take a look at him."

Slim bent down and scooped Jess up like a small child,. Resting Jess' head on his shoulder, he followed Hannah McAllister as she led the way into the house.

"Cam, go find your uncle and tell him he's got a patient at the house."

"Yes, ma'am!" The girl took off running for the barn in order to catch her uncle before he left to make his rounds of the farms and ranches in the area. Water splashed up from the puddles that were starting to form in the yard.

"Bring him in here, Slim," Hannah instructed. She moved ahead of him to turn the covers down on the bed before Slim laid his friend on it. "This used to be our housekeeper's room. We're in between them at the moment."

She showed Slim into a small, bright bedroom where sunlight normally streamed through the windows. A patchwork quilt, with squares of blue, green, yellow, brown and red covered the bed. Hannah folded it back neatly and pulled the covers down. She could see that Jess wouldn't be getting out of bed for a while. Jess' face, with the exhaustion, hunger and emotional distress of the last week showing, was almost as white as the pillow case his head rested on.

Gently the rancher, turned temporary deputy sheriff, laid his friend on the bed. He took Jess' gun belt off and slung it over his shoulder as his hostess pushed him away while she removed his boots. Placing her hand on the patient's forehead she said, "He's got a touch of fever."

"He's pretty much just exhausted and hungry," Slim told her, "but his horse fell with him a couple of hours ago. That's where the bruise on his forehead came from."

"Get him out of those wet clothes and under the covers," Mrs. McAllister ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," the rancher said and proceeded to do just that.

"What's this I hear about a new patient?" a new masculine voice asked just as they got Jess covered up and comfortable.

David McAllister, MD, was not as tall as Slim but a little taller than Jess. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes along with a mustache. He was dressed in brown pants and jacket with a blue shirt and a black string tie.

"Doc McAllister," Slim greeted the man with a smile and a sigh of relief.

"Slim. It's good to see you boy. What's this I hear about you dragging a sick friend along on a visit?" he asked with a teasing grin as he sat down next to his latest patient, opened his bag and took out his stethoscope.

"We've had a rough few days," Slim told him, "and Jess, here, got the worst of it. The weather turned cold and wet just before we got here."

The doctor took out his watch and timed Jess' pulse while listening to Slim explain about the false arrest warrant, the journey from Laramie, Jess' escape and everything else that had transpired over the last few days.

"What happened to his wrists and his hands?" McAllister questioned the tall blond.

"Handcuffed to a tree. He dug himself out. We didn't know the tree wasn't set solid. Jess was scared - he had a right to be. While Jarrad and I were sleeping he escaped. It took us a few days to catch up with him."

"Sam Jarrad? Former bounty hunter turned sheriff?" McAllister practically spit the name out.

"That's the one. He had a warrant for Jess' arrest - for murder."

"I know Jarrad's reputation," McAllister said. "I'll bet your friend didn't get anything to eat or drink the whole time he was in his custody. He's not noted for bringing back live prisoners."

"No, sir," Slim confirmed. "By the time we caught up with him he was complaining - rightly so - of being half starved. I don't think he'd eaten since breakfast the morning before Jarrad showed up and took him into custody. And the watering hole we camped near was polluted. I had some beef jerky in my saddlebags but that was it. We stopped at a relay station but the manager sent a messenger about Jess' arrival awhile we were eating. We never got to finish our meal."

As they spoke Jess' eyes started to flutter open. He looked dazedly around for his friend.

"S-S-Slim?"

"I'm here Jess." The tall rancher took his friend's hand in his.

"S-Slim. Wha -what happened?"

"You fainted Jess. Keeled right over out of the saddle. How do you feel?"

"Dizzy.. .. tired... ...hungry. Cold."

"I'm not surprised." Sherman responded before introducing his friends, "Jess, this is Dr. David McAllister. He's Mrs. McAllister's husband. I want him to give you a good going over. I told him everything that's happened over the past week."

Slim backed off and let the doctor in. Mrs. McAllister shooed Slim and Cam, who had followed her uncle, out of the room while he performed his examination. He was about half an hour with Jess before he came back out.

"Hannah, dish up a bowl of that chicken soup you have on the stove. Not too much chicken - mostly broth. Cam, pour a glass of milk." Turning to Slim he motioned to him to have a seat at the kitchen table while he explained his findings.

"Slim your friend seems to be a little underweight. Does he eat well?"

Despite his concern over Jess' health Slim burst into laughter at that question. Around Laramie Jess was notorious for always being hungry and never gaining more than five or ten pounds and heaven forbid somebody should reach for the same thing on the table - biscuit, roll, piece of pie - at the same time. More than once Slim had lost out to the ever hungry Harper boy.

"Doc, that boy eats twice as much as I do! I keep telling him he's eating me out of house and home. Jonesy despaired of ever getting any weight on him. As fast as he gains it he works it off."

"I see," McAllister said with a smile. "Well, then I'd say a few days of what you call short rations doesn't help the situation any." He grew serious then. "Slim that boy is not well. Like you said, he's exhausted. and half starved. He's got a nasty bruise, as I'm sure you know, on his forehead which is giving him a headache. His wrists are mildly infected. He's running a slight fever - probably from those wounds on his hands. Mostly he seems anxious about something. I want you two to stay here for a few days. He needs rest and some decent food. I want to see him gain at least ten pounds before I send you two on your way."

"I'm all for it," the blond said, "but Jess is anxious to get home to Laramie. It was a very close call down in Willow. He hasn't wanted to slow down, or stop, for more than a few minutes since we left there. Just long enough to rest the horses for a few minutes and let them drink. Whenever we stopped for the night he was up long before daybreak wanting to be on the road again."

"Well, whether he likes it or not, you're staying put for at least two weeks. Maybe longer."

Seeing the surprised look on Slim's face he added, "I know I said a few days, but the more I think about it - and with what you've told me - I think it better be longer. I want to send him home healthy and heavier."

Slim sighed. "I'd better be the one to break the news to him. He's going to be awfully ornery about it."

"Ornery or not, my orders stand. You will both stay here for at least two weeks, resting and eating decent meals." McAllister was firm on that. He patted the younger man on the shoulder. "From the looks of you, you could stand to get some sleep and some decent food as well."

"A hot bath first," Hannah McAllister said as she approached with the invalid's tray. "You need warming up, and cleaning up, by the looks of you. Cam, get some water heating up and put the tub in the room next to yours. Slim's going to sleep in there for the next few days."

"If it's all the same to you, Mrs. McAllister," Slim said, "I'd rather sleep in the same room with Jess - if I can that is. He's likely to get the idea that he can just get out of bed and sneak off. Or he'll get restless and have bad dreams. Since we became friends he always seems to need to know I'm close by whenever he's sick - or hurt."

"No problem dear. We'll get the camp bed out of the attic and make it up for you in his room."

So saying Hannah McAllister and her niece got busy. The camp bed was brought down out of the attic, cleaned off and set up in the room where Jess would be staying. Clean linens were brought in and a pair of plump pillows. A blanket was retrieved from storage in the attic as well. A brightly colored log cabin quilt was folded neatly at the bottom of the bed in case the night got too cool. Evergreen was in the foothills of the Rockies and it could get quite chilly at night - even during the summer.

All of this was done quickly, and efficiently, without disturbing the sick man. For his part, Jess figured out that Slim intended to stay in the room with him. In spite of his fever and misery, he could figure out that he wasn't contagious or they wouldn't be setting up a bed for his partner in the same room. He also knew it was because Slim had insisted it was the only way to keep him in bed as ordered.

It didn't take long to heat water for Slim's bath and he filled the tub himself leaving a couple of buckets of warm water to rinse off with. Hannah provided him with several towels and told him to leave the towels and his dirty clothes on the floor. She and Cam would wash them, along with the family laundry, in the morning - weather permitting.

Scrubbed, dried and dressed in clean clothes Slim went to the invalid's room to stay until dinner. He found that Jess had managed two bowls of broth, a couple of biscuits with butter and two glasses of milk - though he protested that he wanted coffee instead - before falling asleep. Slim couldn't help smiling and thinking of how much Jess seemed like a little boy at times like this. The curly hair and long dark lashes made him look younger than his twenty-six years. Sometimes he didn't seem any older than Andy.

"Slim, Aunt Hannah says dinner is about ready so you better wash up if you want to eat," Cam Ramsay poked her head in the door. "She also said, and I quote, ' you tell him to quit fussing over his friend long enough to get some food into his stomach'."

The tall, blond rancher grinned. There were times when Mrs. McAllister sounded so much like his late mother it was uncanny. He got up from the chair he was sitting in and headed for the wash basin on the dresser. He was just finishing up as dinner was set on the table. For the family and himself there was fried chicken, mashed potatoes sweet corn from their garden, fresh biscuits with plenty of butter to put on them, apple pie and plenty of hot coffee to wash it down - except for Cam. She had a tall glass of milk.

A few hours later, before turning in, Slim went out to the McAllister's barn to check on the livestock. His horse was all right, and Doctor McAllister's was, but he'd need to borrow, rent or buy one for Jess.

Slim was bone tired by the time he turned in but alert to every sound, or move, that Jess made during the night. Blessedly, the younger man seemed to be resting peacefully so the older man was able to sleep as well. Out of habit, having been nursing Jess' injuries and illnesses for over a year, he checked the bandages on his wrists. They seemed secure. He reckoned Jess must have been too tired to fool around with them. The broth, some willow bark tea and the knowledge that he was safe had gone a long way toward making him relaxed and sleepy.

Breakfast wasn't as early at the McAllisters as it was at home, so Slim was able to wash up, shave and take a little walk around town, the next morning, before it was ready. When he came back Jess was awake, sitting up and eating his own breakfast which, much to the younger man's disgust, was more broth and some willow bark tea as well as another glass of milk. Mrs. McAllister wasn't going to overload his system with a lot of heavy food. He'd been too long without decent rations.

"You haven't had more than a few bites of jerky and some berries for a week, Jess," Slim reminded him. "You know that too much heavy food, right off, would make you sick. Eat your broth and stop complaining."

"But I'm hungry!" the younger man wailed.

"Of course you are," Mrs. McAllister said as she walked into the room, "but until David says so, no matter how hungry you are, you will finish that broth and then go back to sleep. Tomorrow maybe you can start on 'real' food - like oatmeal."

Jess tried scowling at the woman but she just ignored him and told Slim to get to the table for his own breakfast. The smell of the hotcakes, sausage and eggs told the blond he was in for a treat - especially since neither he, nor Jess, was much of a cook. At least not inside. Jess wasn't too bad when they were on the trail cooking over an open fire. Slim's late mother had tried to teach him but, with Jonesy around, there was no need for him to do much cooking. They got by but it was nothing like this.

After breakfast Slim went in to town to send a wire to Laramie.

"Jess Harper ill. Stop. Staying in Evergreen until he can travel. Stop. Notify Ben at relay station. Stop. Back as soon as possible. Stop. Sherman." Satisfied that the stage line would get word to Ben to "hold down the fort" Slim handed the telegraph to the clerk, paid for it and went back to the McAllisters'.

When he got there he went to the invalid's room to keep Jess company for a while. When he got tired of sitting, Cam was there to take over. Jess wasn't crazy about being an invalid but he did enjoy the girl's company. She was smart, well educated and lively. She didn't fuss over him like a mother hen and he appreciated that. Her aunt and Slim were bad enough. They were always fussing at him to drink his willow bark tea or sleep. Cam told him stories about school, her cousins (she had dozens of them but no siblings), her favorite things to do - which included fishing. She told Jess she'd take him just as soon as her uncle said he could leave the house to do something other than sit on the porch. "The trout are huge", she declared.

While Jess took a nap that afternoon, Hannah had a chat with Slim about Laramie, Andy, Jonesy and coaxed Jess' story about of him. About his having been a drifter trespassing on Sherman property but proved to be an ally and a good worker - when he wasn't goldbricking. And Andy was crazy about him. A feeling the Texan returned in kind.

"It sounds like he's your best friend," she said.

"He is. He's like a brother to me."

Hannah patted him on the shoulder. "I think you're good for each other. Why don't you go sit with Jess for a while. He's still feverish. It's making him fretful and uncomfortable..

The tall blond wasted no time in going to his friend's side. Hannah was right - Jess' eyes were suspiciously bright and his face was flushed.

"Hey pard, how're you doing?"

"Tired...hot..wanna go home and sleep in my own bunk. Can't we go home tomorrow Slim?"

"Sorry, Jess, but Doc McAllister won't let either of us go anywhere for at least two weeks. He says you're too sick and I'm too tired."

"Sick?"

"Who? Me?" Slim asked.

"Yeah. You...you're sick, too?"

Slim hesitated. Jess was obviously too sick to accept the truth that he had been part of the cause of Slim's condition. He'd been under a considerable amount of strain over the last week. He'd been worried about Jess, trying to keep Jarrad and Jess - both - under control and unsure of the outcome of any trial. He sat in the chair next to Jess' bed.

"No, I'm not sick. Doc worries too much. He thinks I need to rest for a while." He patted Jess on the knee. "Don't worry. Ben can handle things while we're gone. I sent a wire to Laramie and told the office to let him know we'd been delayed. Mose is on the Laramie route this week. He'll manage the changing of the teams and Ben will feed the passengers."

"Sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Now close your eyes and try to sleep for a while. Mrs. McAllister said you might have some real food tomorrow. If you're real good, maybe I can talk her into something special tonight."

"All right." Jess' eyes closed.

Slim picked up the book he'd chosen from the McAllisters' library and started to read. In less than an hour he, too, had fallen asleep

It was late afternoon when Slim awoke to the smell of pork chops, potatoes, beets and fresh bread. Stretching the kinks out of his back he wandered out into the kitchen. Jess was still sleeping.

"Dinner will be ready in half an hour, Slim," Hannah McAllister told him without turning around.

"Smells good. What's Jess having - when he wake up?"

"Soup and biscuits. Until he shakes that fever altogether he can't have anything heavy no matter how much he complains," she told him. "It's not serious but, on top of everything else, David feels it's best if he's kept on an invalid's diet."

"I sure will be glad to see him able to eat regular food again," Sherman said with a sigh. "It's not normal for him to not be eating everything in sight."

"He'll be fine, Slim," the woman assured him. "It's not uncommon for someone who's as hungry as your friend to run a bit of a fever. There's those injuries to his wrists and hands, from the digging, as well."

Seeing the panicked look on the blond's face she hastened to add, "Slim, really, he's going to be fine. I'm giving him willow bark tea for the fever. It'll break in a day or so and then we can start building up his strength for the ride home."

Hannah was right. By late afternoon, the next day - their fourth in Evergreen - Jess' fever finally broke. The day after that he was allowed eggs and biscuits with milk for breakfast. Soup for lunch and a little ham for supper. Then he was to sleep with the goal of being allowed out of bed to sit outside for a while the next day.

It was a paler, somewhat thinner Jess that was allowed to sit on the McAllister's front porch in the fresh air late the next morning. His clothes had been laundered but he was wearing a pair of David's slippers on his feet. His boots had been put into hiding lest he get the idea he could wander off or head for home. That had been Slim's idea. Jess was restless but both Dr. and Mrs. McAllister were keeping an eye on him to see that he didn't overdo. Slim was driving the doctor on his rounds - just to get him out of the house and keep him from hovering over Jess so much.

Cam found him there when she got home from school. She scurried inside to change into her boy's clothes and came back out carrying some books with her.

"You look bored," she said. "How about if I read to you?" She showed him her stack of books. "Hmm, The Count of Monte Christo? No. I don't think so. Maybe some Mark Twain - I've got the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. You might like that."

"I'm not much on books," he told the girl.

"You don't have to read to me," she told him. "I'm going to read to you."

When Jess didn't show any interest in those selections she hit on another idea.

"Hans Christian Andersen! I think you'll like his stuff, Mr. Harper. It's all short stories. My favorite is The Little Mermaid but I think you'll like some of the others."

For the next hour and a half, Cam sat in a chair next to Jess reading from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales. They were laughing over one of them when her uncle and Slim, arrived back home from their trip to some of the outlying farms and ranches.

"You two seem to be enjoying yourselves," Slim commented as he and David drove up.

"We are. Mr. Harper was bored and Aunt Hannah said he wasn't to leave the porch - not on his own - so I got some books out and we took turns reading."

"Let's see," Slim reached for the stack on the porch by Cam's chair. "'The Count of Monte Christo', Mark Twain's frog story. Where's Oliver Twist or David Copperfield?"

"I don't read Dickens," the girl informed him. "He's too depressing. Mr. Harper needs cheering up. That man would depress him something fierce!"

Slim reached out and tugged on her braid.

"You're right. Jess wouldn't enjoy Dickens either." He looked around to see who was listening before he confessed, "I never liked him much either, but Ma insisted I read them."

"We're reading this," she handed him the volume in her lap.

"Hans Christian Andersen? You were reading him 'The Little Mermaid'?" Slim knew Cam's favorite.

"No, silly. We just finished 'The Emperor's New Clothes'."

"Yeah, Slim, and it's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time," Jess laughed.

Hannah McAllister came out of the house just then.

"Jess? You need to come back inside and take a nap while I get dinner ready - and no arguments young man," she told him seeing the mutinous look on his face.

While Jess' brief bout with fever was over, he was still recovering from it along with the exhaustion and hunger. The steady - though not heavy blood loss had sapped his strength as well He'd graduated to somewhat heavier fare - eggs and bread stuffs - but he was still a long way from recovering all his strength and energy.

Slim joked, "Come on, partner, I'll tuck you in all nice and cozy."

If Jess had been one hundred percent he wouldn't have let that comment pass without retaliation but Hannah McAllister was in charge, and in sight and, truth be told, she kind of intimidated him. Cam was nearby as well - a double incentive for keeping his mouth shut. Whatever else Jess Harper was, he was a gentleman around real ladies - and young girls.

The dark haired cowboy shuffled reluctantly to the small room off the kitchen, removed his boots and stretched out. Despite any protests he might have made he was sound asleep with seconds of his head hitting the pillow. Slim grinned when he saw it as he entered the room to leave his gun belt and hat. Gently, he spread a blanket over his still recuperating partner, then went out to see if he could help with dinner. He was promptly told to remove himself from the kitchen and sit on the porch until called.

Two hours later, a meal of chicken and dumplings was on the table to be followed by cherry pie. Jess was allowed, for the first time, to sit at the table and eat. He managed a fair sized dish of chicken and a small piece of pie before having to admit that his appetite wasn't back to normal. It was to be expected. He'd been hungry for the better part of a week - having nothing but jerky and berries. His stomach wasn't ready for large meals yet. It was a start, though, and the McAllisters were pleased. His color was starting to look better as well. Still, David McAllister's orders were strictly followed. Jess was to eat, sleep and sit on the porch. Hannah would find small jobs for him to do to keep him occupied. Slim would walk around town, explore the area, keep Jess company part of the day and relax with a good book when Jess was sleeping.

At the end of their first week in Evergreen, Jess' hands and wrists were looking much better. David McAllister left the bandages off during the day but made sure that somebody put aloe vera and bandages on them at night so Jess wouldn't do any damage to them in his sleep.

School let out for the summer the following week. That left Cam free to entertain the convalescing Jess - which she did very well. Jess had a way of attracting children and teens to himself unconsciously. Cam was no exception and she often said that Jess was a lot more fun than Slim.

In Jess, Cam found a kindred spirit. She, too, thought Slim was too serious but there was hope. Jess could get him to loosen up and make wisecracks now and then.

It rained for two days after that. Jess wasn't allowed to sit on the porch those two days. Hannah was hard pressed to keep him occupied. She set him to work creating kindling for the fire. He was given beans to snap and peas to shell. There was corn to be shucked. Jess proved himself to be very good at those tasks and was rewarded with praise, from the doctor's wife, and fresh bread, right out of the oven, slathered in fresh butter and raspberry jam. Still no coffee much to the invalid's disgust.

After a week Jess was allowed to wander farther than the front porch. On a bright, sunny Saturday he went fishing with Cam.

Cam scurried around the kitchen, after finishing her morning chores and her breakfast, and put together some ham sandwiches for herself and Jess to eat while they were fishing. A stoneware jug, full of lemonade, and a sack of her aunt's ginger cookies also went into the basket. Along with that was a loaf of bread. Jess couldn't figure out why the extra bread if it wasn't for sandwiches and they weren't bringing any butter with them.

"It's bait, silly," Cam told him. "Worms are all right, but you can sprinkle bread crumbs on the water to see what's biting."

"I never heard of using bread," Jess told her.

"Well you just wait and see. I'll bet you I'll catch more fish with my bread than you will with any silly worms - or grasshoppers. And you don't have to dig around in the mud or chase it down in a field to get it."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she giggled as he went off to find some worms to use for his own bait.

"What's the bet?" the cowboy wanted to know when they were ready to leave.

Cam thought about it for a minute. "If I win you have to read to me, three times a day, until you leave for Laramie."

"And if I win?" Jess asked

"I'll make you a cake, or a pie, that you don't have to share with anyone - including Slim."

"You're on!" The thought of having a cake, or other dessert, all his own, won him over in a hurry.

Fifteen minutes later they were off. Slim was with the doctor again and Hannah had given her niece - and the recovering patient - permission to go fishing so long as Jess didn't get over tired or suffer some kind of a relapse. He was doing well but Dr. McAllister was going to take him in to his office in a few days to give him a thorough examination and that included getting him on the scale to see if he'd gained any weight now that he was starting to eat normal meals again. Jess tended to be a little light for his size but he'd lost some weight over the last two weeks. The good doctor - and his wife - were working on that. A little light work around the yard, good meals and plenty of rest. He was coming along but he wasn't quite ready to be released to go home yet.

Cam, for her part, was delighted. Jess could be such a big kid but he was also protective of these new friends, especially the girl. They had fun playing games and taking turns reading to each other. Jess' reading was improving. He'd never be the book lover that Slim was, but he was coming along. His young friend just seemed to have a knack for finding things he would enjoy. The fishing trip was just the thing to relieve the restlessness Jess was feeling.

By the time the pair of fishermen walked about three miles Jess was beginning to tire. Just when he thought he could go no further Cam pointed out the stream which was their destination. It was a cool and peaceful location. The unlikely pair of teenage girl and ex-gunfighter found a comfortable spot where they could lean against a log while dangling their lines in the water. Cam sprinkled some breadcrumbs over the surface to see what, if anything was biting. It took less than thirty seconds for the crumbs to disappear. Both fishermen hastily baited their hooks and cast them into the water. It didn't take long for a couple of fair sized trout to go for it.

Jess took his pole and bait a little distance away so they wouldn't interfere with each other. Then he settled in for what he thought was a sure thing. Whoever heard of trout going after bread the way the girl claimed? Hadn't he caught just as many using worms?

They stayed out all day, stopping around noon to eat lunch. By that time Cam had a dozen fish strung and Jess had ten. He was determined to do better than she was but Cam was under strict instructions to get him home well before dinner. Being as they had a bit of a walk ahead of them she called it quits around two that afternoon. Triumphantly she showed Jess her string of fifteen while he had to settle for twelve.

"I can't believe you caught all those using bread," he complained as they started back to the McAllister house.

"Better not let Slim hear you complain," she teased him. "He'll never let you hear the end of it."

It was getting late and the sun was beating down. Jess was tired before they were halfway back so Cam slowed their pace and tried to steer him over to the side of the road where the trees shaded it some. There they'd sit and rest until Jess felt ready to move on. Even at that he was worn out by the time they got back to the house.

A worried Cam said, "I don't think we should have walked so far, Mr. Harper. You look awfully tired. Uncle David will be mad if you get sick again just when he and Aunt Hannah think you're getting better."

"It's all right Cam," Jess told her. "I'll be all right. I got myself into this mess - I should have known I wasn't ready for such a long walk and begged off for a couple of days or so."

"It's not too much farther now," the girl said. "Why don't you lean on me while you walk?"

"No. Slim sees that and he'll have me back in bed again and we'll never get home."

He struggled to his feet and gamely started out again with an anxious Cam walking right next to him. It took another hour but they finally made it and Jess really wasn't any the worse for the trip.

Fortunately neither Slim nor the doctor was in sight. The dusty, tired duo took seats on the porch. After a minute Cam slipped into the kitchen to get some cold lemonade her aunt had made along with a couple of glasses. Fifteen minutes of rest and several glasses of lemonade later Jess was feeling much better though still a bit tired.

He helped Cam clean the trout they'd bought and watched as the teenager competently breaded them and got them ready for the frying pan. At supper, his appetite was so big, he ate four of the trout all by himself along with fried potatoes and fresh sweet peas from Hannah's garden.

Hannah was amused. She'd heard about Jess' appetite that first night but this was the first time she'd witnessed it. Her husband was pleased to see his patient eating so well. He intended to have him in his office for a checkup in two days. Dr. McAllister was pleased with Jess' progress so it seemed. If he'd known about how tired he got coming back from that fishing expedition he might not have been so happy.

Supper wasn't long over with when Jess' eyelids began to droop. The long walk to the spot where he and Cam had gone fishing, the long walk back, all the fresh air and the first "real" meal he'd had in over a week combined to make him sleepy at a fairly early hour. Hannah sent him off to bed. Fifteen minutes later Slim got up to check on him and found Jess sound asleep. No fever, no nightmares. Just peaceful sleep with his body and face relaxed.

"What did you do to Jess, Cam?" Slim asked. "You were with him all day. Did you slip him something from your uncle's medicine chest?"

"No, Mr. Smarty!" she retorted. "I took him fishing at my favorite spot."

"Cam! You didn't walk all the way out to Branch Creek did you?"

"Sure did. Aunt Hannah and Uncle David said it was all right." The teen ate a few mouthfuls of her dessert before continuing. "He had a great time but he's, um, frustrated maybe, that I caught more than he did using bread for bait instead of worms. He didn't think I could do much but I caught three more than he did."

Fixing Slim with a fierce glare the teen said, "And don't you tease him about it. I did the same thing to you and Andy the first time I went fishing with you remember?"

"Yeah, I remember Andy was hopping mad that a girl beat us. Did you make a bet with him like you did me?" Slim asked.

"Yup. If I won he has to read to me three times a day until you leave." She grinned at him, "There's more than one way to skin a cat."

"And if he'd won?" the blond asked.

"I'd have owed him a cake, or a pie, he wouldn't have to share with anyone."

Slim threw his head back and laughed. He'd made virtually that same bet with her when she was ten and Andy was eleven. He'd also lost.

"So what are you going to make him read?" Slim asked, cautioning, "He's not that fond of reading - maybe because he doesn't have a lot of formal education."

"He's not dumb though," Cam asserted. "He just needs to be motivated."

"Motivated? Where'd you learn such a word?" Slim teased her knowing perfectly well that she was smart and her aunt and uncle saw to it that she kept up her schoolwork and did extra curricular reading besides. It didn't hurt that the girl loved books as much as she loved being out of doors.

In reply the girl wrinkled her nose at him and resumed finishing her dessert. The topic of their discussion slept blissfully in the room he and Slim were sharing. It was the best night's sleep he'd had since Sam Jarrad had arrested him.

In the morning he ate ravenously and then went outside to see if there were any chores he could do. He felt guilty accepting the McAllisters' hospitality without doing something in return. Mid-morning Cam headed for the General Store to do an errand for her aunt and to bring her uncle some lunch at his office. The two visitors from Laramie decided to accompany her. Jess hadn't seen anything of the town - not that there was all that much to see it being so small.

They dropped David McAllister's lunch off and headed for the General store. There was one thing in the store that interested Slim especially - a selection of books He made his way to the shelves on the right hand side of the store and started perusing the titles while Jess stuck with Cam as she gathered some small grocery items as well as pins, needles, thread and buttons along with some yarn and embroidery silks.

When Hannah's order had been gathered, and paid for, the pair made their way to the side of the room where Slim was still looking over the books. For a small store it had quite a varied selection.

The volume that currently held his interest was a book that listed names and their meanings. He had just found his mother's maiden name, Bryant, when his friends joined him.

"What's so interesting?" Jess asked as they approached.

"It's a book that tells you the meaning of your name - first and last." Slim showed his partner the book.

Jess took one look and returned it. Books weren't something that held is interest for more than a minute or two - Cam's fairy tales being one of the rare exceptions. He'd really enjoyed Hans Christian Andersen's tales.

"Boring."

"No, it's not," Slim rebutted. "It's interesting. See, here's your name - Harper. It means you're descended from someone who either played the harp or made them."

"Let me see," Cam took the book from Slim and thumbed through it until she found Sherman. She started laughing hysterically when she found it drawing looks of amusement from most in the store. Cam was a generous girl with a warm heart that was always doing something for somebody - especially younger children. Her laugh always got attention and it was often contagious.

"What's so funny?" Jess wanted to know.

"Slim's a rancher right? He raises horses and some cattle and has the contract with the stage line?"

"Yeah, what's funny about that?"

"Oh, it's not that," the girl told him, "it's just that his name - Sherman means someone who uses shears in his line of work. Someone like a sheep shearer."

She started giggling all over again and this time Jess joined in the laughter at Slim's expense. They both knew that, although he wouldn't harm a sheep man - or be involved in a feud with them - he was definitely not fond of the woolly creatures.

"All right Miss Smarty," Slim said. "Let's see what your name means."

He started thumbing through the book. It took a minute before he could find it because Cameron was generally used as a surname, and not as a first name.

"Cameron Blair Ramsay. Let's see," the blond's light blue eyes twinkled with good humor and mischief. He had no way of knowing that there was a customer in the store who was taking exception to their nonsense and would wind up hurting Cam's feelings. "Ramsay - hill of garlic? I suppose that means they raised garlic on their place." He grinned at Cam who wrinkled her nose at him - her usual response when she thought he was being silly.

Turning the page he found Blair. "Says here that Blair means plain or field. Maybe even battlefield."

"Cam's anything but plain," Jess said in defense of his young friend.

"Oh, I agree," Slim said. "She's certainly not plain."

"So what does Cameron mean then?" the subject of their discussion asked.

Sherman turn the pages until he got back to the Cs and found Cameron.

"I hate to even say it," he told her. "It says it means crooked nose."

A loud male voice was heard laughing.

The two men from Laramie glanced over and then turned their attention back to their young friend and the book.

"Let's see what your aunt's name means," Slim said trying to turn the conversation back to something pleasant.

Finding it prompted a smile from the two men. Hannah, according to the book, meant gracious. As far as they were concerned it suited her perfectly.

The male voice was closer and his comments were getting crude.

"Crooked nose? Suits her perfectly," the speaker said. He was a tall man, just an inch or so shorter than Slim. His features were hawk like and his black eyes cruel looking. "Just look at it, all bent out of shape like that. Ugly little thing."

"Mister, you're butting into a private conversation," Jess told him, his blue eyes glittering dangerously.

"Private? You're in a public place, boy," was the reply. It was followed by a string of curses that would have made a muleskinner blush.

Cam was getting nervous and definitely uncomfortable. Nobody in her family talked like that - it was considered crude, crass and the sign of a limited vocabulary as well as bad manners. And she was visibly upset by his comments about her appearance. She tended to be insecure about her looks.

Slim's eyes were narrowing dangerously after that. He and Jess sometimes swore but never in front of a lady, a minister or a youngster. As far as he was concerned Cam was a lady, a youngster, and more importantly, practically a member of his family.

"My friend told you to butt out. You've no call to talk that way - especially in front of the young lady." He turned to Jess as the man cursed again. "Jess, take Cam outside and wait for me."

The dark haired cowboy look at his partner.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to teach this lout some manners."

"Slim! No! It's not important," Cam tried to talk him out of what she was sure was coming.

"Yes, it is," the blond replied. "Jess, get her out of here."

Somewhat reluctantly the ex-gunfighter took his new friend by the arm and led her outside. Escorting her to the bench in front of the window he said, "Sit here and don't move. I'll - we'll be right back." At the look of mutiny on her face he added, "I mean it, Cam. Stay here."

Slim was standing by the bookshelves carefully placing the book he'd been looking at back where he'd found it. The loud mouthed customer, who'd been so rude to Cam, was laughing. He had the mistaken impression that Slim wouldn't act on his statement. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"You have a big mouth mister. Do you enjoy hurting little girls' feelings?"

"I calls 'em as I see 'em and that girl's got a crooked ..."

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. The tall, blond rancher's right fist shot out and hit him in the mouth, drawing blood from his bottom lip.

"You're gonna be sorry you did that, sonny," the crude one said. "I'm gonna bust you up."

His own right fist shot out catching Slim high on the forehead causing him to stagger backwards into the shelves holding the books. The resultant impact knocked many of them to the floor.

The blond came back at his attacker with a hard right followed by a left which caused the man to knock over a barrel of ax handles.

The troublemaker reached down and grabbed one of them, advancing on Slim who had nothing to defend himself with. It made no difference for a dark haired tornado blew in and jumped on the man's back bringing him to the floor. A couple of blows from Jess Harper's fists had him seeing stars but that wasn't the end of it. The man had several friends with him, who shared his attitude. They joined the fray and soon there was a regular donnybrook going on as the two visitors from Laramie took on some members of the rougher element of the small town.

Glass shattered, men grunted, and wood crashed and splintered as Slim and Jess did their best to defend themselves against the rowdies. A few minutes later, Sheriff Vin Markure came into the store having been summoned by a customer.

With a little help from some of the bystanders the lawman, a youngish looking forty, managed to separate the combatants.

"Who started it?" he demanded to know.

"They did!" the actual instigator said, pointing at Slim and Jess who stood breathing heavily and glaring daggers at him.

"That ain't so!" Jess stated emphatically.

"That one," Slim said, pointing at his attacker, "insulted Cam Ramsay. When I took exception to it he swung on me."

"Harrison? Is that right?" the lawman asked the storekeeper.

Frank Harrison, stout, balding and in his fifties, nodded.

"That's right. The Ramsay girl, and her friends, were looking at one of the books from that shelf behind you. Mobley heard them talking and made some mean remarks about Cam's appearance." He glared at the trouble making customer. "The dark haired one took her outside and then came back in just as his friend was facing an ax handle with nothing to defend himself. Then Mobley's friends joined in."

"What have you got to say for yourself, Mobley?" the sheriff asked.

"Nothing."

"We'll just see about that. Where is Cam?"

"She should be on the bench out front," Jess told him. "I put here there just before the fight started."

"Jensen, go get her and bring her in here. I want to hear what she has to say about this."

An older man, wearing a deputy's badge, went out and brought Cam in. Her brown eyes went wide when she saw the damage to the store and her protectors. Slim was sporting a knot over his right eye. Jess' left eye was beginning to swell shut and he was going to have one heck of a shiner before long.

The girl went to stand between her two friends steering well clear of Mobley and his friends. Slim, and Jess - both - put a hand on her shoulders to reassure her that she was safe. She looked up at them gratefully, her eyes narrowing when she got a closer look at them.

"Cam, would you tell me your side of what just happened?" Sheriff Markure asked.

"I came to do an errand for Aunt Hannah. Slim, and Jess, decided to come with me. Jess stood with me over by the counter while I got the stuff I came for. Slim saw the books and decided to check them out." She shivered a little at the look Mobley was giving her. "He found one that tells the meanings of names and we were laughing at some of them. Then Slim found my name. Mr. Mobley, there, thought it was funny and started making fun of me. My friends took exception to it and told him to butt out of our private conversation." She stopped to take a deep, calming breath before finishing her story. "Mr. Mobley was getting really nasty so Slim told Jess to take me outside. I don't know what happened after that. Jess made me stay outside while he came back in to help Slim if he needed it."

"How about it Mobley?" Markure asked. "Is that what happened?"

"Girl can't take a little teasing," Mobley said.

"A little..." Slim was outraged.

Jess was ready to start the fight again. Only the fact that Cam could be caught in the middle stopped him.

"His idea of a little teasing was to insult Cam and call her ugly," Slim stated emphatically. "Her name means 'crooked nose'. Mr. Mobley, there, thought it was funny and said Cam was ugly. When I told him he wasn't funny he started to get very crude and mean. I admit to throwing the first punch," the blond said, "but he had it coming."

"Them fellas is right," said an old trapper who was in the store at the time. "That Mobley fella was intent on making the little girl miserable. The tall fella there was only defending her. The little fella only jumped into the fray when one of them others threatened his friend with an ax handle."

Jess winced at being called "the little fella". He wasn't overly sensitive about his size but it wasn't exactly fun to be smaller than a lot of the men he knew - his partner included. Slim had a good three inches on him.

"Sounds to me like you owe the little lady an apology Mobley," Sheriff Markure said. "You can apologize and pay for all the damages or you can spend some time in my jail - and do the cleaning and such while you're there."

Mobley started cursing and complaining so Markure settled the question for him.

"That's it. Thirty days for brawling, assault, and insulting a lady - plus you'll pay for the damages to Harrison's store." When Mobley's friends started to protest he added, "and it'll cost you the same if you say one more word. Now get out of here."

Turning to his prisoner he said, "You apologize to the young lady - now!"

In answer Mobley started swearing again, making Cam cringe and the men from Laramie fix him with threatening looks.

"Take Cam home, gentlemen, while I lock this idiot up," the sheriff said.

Slim wrapped an arm around Cam's shoulders and nudged Jess to lead the way before he got into trouble for attacking the sheriff's prisoner. He thought that Markure might feel the same as they did, about Mobley, but he would be within his rights to lock Jess up if he got out of hand. He couldn't face the McAllisters if anything happened to Cam or Jess wound up in jail.

"Let's go you two." He headed for the door with Jess following right behind.

Cam's shoulders were tense and she was trying to keep from sobbing but the experience in the General Store had shaken her up. She wasn't used to such verbal abuse - or the language that had been used.

"You all right Cam?" Slim asked.

"Yeah."

"You don't sound all right to me," Jess commented.

He found a good sized boulder where they could all sit down and indicated to Slim that they ought to sit for a minute and try to calm her down.

"It's okay to cry," the blond told her. "A man would have to be blind not to see that you're upset."

"That fella was as nasty as they come," Jess said. "For two cents I'd go back and finish what you started," he told his partner.

"No, Jess."

"But Slim! He really hurt her feelings and he was as nasty as any I've ever known."

"No!" This time it was Cam who spoke up. The last thing she wanted was to be the reason for her new friend to go back to town and get in trouble - even if he was trying to defend her.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be okay." She started sobbing and the big, tall blond took her in his arms and held her until the storm passed and she was calm again.

"Here," he said handing her his handkerchief. "Wipe your eyes and your nose. Whenever you're ready we'll start for home again."

Jess looked around and said, in puzzlement, "Just where are we anyway? We didn't come this way when we went to the store for your aunt."

"About a mile and a half north of the house," Cam told him. "I like to come this way when I've had a bad day."

"But you live right on the edge of Evergreen," Slim said. "Why would you go out of your way."

"It's because it's quiet, isn't it Cam?" Jess knew and understood. He often craved solitude himself when he was upset.

"Yeah. It's quiet here. Nobody around to bother me most of the time."

"Oh."

"Come on," the girl said, tugging on his hand. "I'll show you how to get home from here."

The blond got to his feet, followed by Jess and the trio started off through the woods. It was when they got to the creek that the men hesitated. There was no bridge, just a fallen tree spanning the six foot gap between the banks, and the water looked to be about six feet deep.

Cam quickly stepped up on the tree and was across in less than a minute. Slim and Jess hesitated. Once across the girl looked back expectantly at her friends.

"What's keeping you?"

The two men looked at her in disbelief for a minute. They remained frozen in place for a moment or two. Both raised their eyebrows. Slim's hand twitched before he finally rolled his eyes and gave Jess a little shove.

Grinning at Jess he added, "After you Pard."

Jess scowled at him but stepped up onto the log anyway. It took him a few seconds to get the feel of it before he started carefully making his way across. Slim waited until Jess had taken a few steps and then stepped up behind him. They were about a third of the way across when Jess suddenly slipped. He caught himself and started cautiously crossing again. They were about halfway across when Jess lost his footing again.

Desperately trying to catch his balance, Jess' arms windmilled and then he latched on to Slim's arm. That action caused the tall blond to lose his balance. No matter what he tried to do, to keep himself from falling in, it was a wasted effort. With a mighty splash the two men fell into the icy water below them.

Jess surfaced first. Standing up he found that the deepest water only came about to his shoulders. Deep enough to prevent serious injury but not deep enough for a fully functional swimmer to drown in. Slim was only a few seconds behind him.

The blond glared at his partner. Jess didn't notice. He was too busy trying to get the water out of his eyes.

"Thanks a lot, Jess!" He, too, was trying to get the water out of his face. "Why'd you grab my arm like that?"

"I was trying to keep from falling," was the answer he got. "I figured you were steady enough I could grab your arm and stop myself."

"Worked really well didn't it?"

Jess looked at his partner and started laughing. "Well, not quite what I planned but for once I'm not the only one that's had an unnecessary bath!"

"You think that's funny, do you?"

"Yeah. I do." Jess started to walk away but Slim's long arm snagged his right arm before he could move more than a couple of inches.

"Well, I don't." The bigger man grinned and dunked his partner who came up fighting.

Coming up out of the water, Jess lunged toward his partner knocking Slim backward into the water. Slim grabbed hold of Jess' arm on the way down and pulled him under with him. This went on for about five minutes before they both finally gave up because they were laughing so hard.

On the opposite bank, perfectly dry and laughing her head off stood Cam. She shook her head at the antics of her two friends. She'd never seen Slim act quite so silly, but she'd long since sensed the mischief lurking just below the surface in the ex-gunfighter.

"Are you two going to play in the water all afternoon or do I tell Aunt Hannah you're not interested in having any supper?"

The two men quickly stopped their horseplay. Jess, especially, did not want to miss out on a meal. As of late, with his appetite returned, and restrictions to his diet off, Hannah commented that keeping him fed was like feeding a teenager with two hollow legs. David didn't comment but his observant gaze took in the fact that the half starved young man, who'd fought a fever for days, after arriving on their doorstep, was looking much better.

They climbed up the bank onto the shore and stood there, dripping wet, and trying to catch their breath. Cam started laughing when she saw them.

"What's so funny?" Slim wanted to know.

"You look like a drowned rat," she told him, "and Jess looks like a drowned poodle dog with those wet curls."

"You think it's funny, huh?" Jess asked. Then, "What's a poodle anyway?"

"A curly haired dog that most people think are sissy," Slim told him with a grin.

"Hey!"

"Come on you two, we'd better get home before Aunt Hannah starts to worry. You need to get out of those wet things into some dry ones. Summer or not, she's not going to be happy to see her just recovered patient sitting around in wet clothes."

They practically ran the rest of the way, though it was difficult for the men with their wet clothes clinging to them the way they did. Ten minutes later they were at the house. The McAllisters weren't home so the men were spared Hannah's fussing over her grown chicks.

A wail came from the mens' room when Jess suddenly discovered that he seemingly didn't have any clean, dry clothes to put on. Slim looked askance as his partner.

"How could you not have any dry clothes?" Slim asked. "I bought you some clothes just before we left Willow so you could get out of those things you were wearing when Jarrad arrested you. You'd had them on for almost a week and the trip through the swamp didn't help any."

"Well, you see me and Cam were..."

"Horsing around?"

"Playing hide and seek with some of her friends," Jess defended himself.

"What does that have to do with your not having any clean clothes?"

"I tripped," the younger man mumbled.

"You tripped. On what?"

"A tree root. I didn't see it in the shade of the trees. I fell and ripped the knee out of one of the legs. Mrs. McAllister's gonna fix 'em for me but she ain't had a chance yet. She's been helping the doc in his office all week."

"Then you have a problem my friend," Slim grinned, "because my clothes are too big for you and so are the doc's. And Cam's are too small."

"You're funny, you know that?" Jess was a little irritated at the way his partner wasn't giving him any sympathy.

Slim crossed over to the dresser they'd been sharing. He opened the bottom drawer and took out long johns, a pair of pants and a shirt Jess' size. Jess stared at them open mouthed.

"Here, try these on for size." He grinned at his partner.

"Where'd they come from?"

"Mrs. McAllister had me buy them the day you and Cam went fishing. They've been in this drawer for days. You haven't needed them until now." Slim laughed at Jess as he changed into the new things. "She'll fix those pants you ripped and you'll have three sets of clothes to choose from for our trip home."

The two men dried themselves off with towels supplied by their young friend and donned fresh clothes. Once done they took their wet things outside and hung them on the line to dry. That done, Cam took it upon herself to do first aid on her grown friends. She got ice from the spring house for Jess's eye and Slim's forehead and made them sit in chairs on the porch out of the sun. They were all sitting there relaxing when the McAllisters got home.

Hannah came over to the two young men and planted kisses on their cheeks. Both blushed to the roots of their hair.

"What was that for?" Jess asked.

"We heard what happened in town," she told them. "Thank you for taking care of Cam."

"Mobley's always crude," David added, "but he's even worse when he's been drinking - which he was all day. He hasn't the courage to pick on someone his own size so he picks on those he thinks are smaller - or weaker - than he is. That includes children sometimes."

"I shoulda wiped up the floor with him," Jess said.

"He'll never change," Hannah told him. "I'm glad you stuck up for Cam but leave it at that. Sheriff Markure is going to keep him in jail for a month and put him to work besides. You don't have to worry about him for the rest of your stay - which I'm sorry to say will only be another day or two."

"Does that mean we can finally go home?" Jess asked eagerly. Seeing Cam's downcast face he hastened to add, "Not that I haven't enjoyed staying with you while I got better."

"Tomorrow morning I'm going to check you out," David McAllister told him. "If you're as healthy as you seem to be at this point, then you can leave for home the day after tomorrow."

"I'll have to find a horse for him," Slim said. "I had to put his down the day we came here. Do you know of anybody who might have one I can rent - or buy?"

"Not off the top of my head," David told him. "Check with the livery stable in town. Dorgan sells horses that are left with him."

"I know someone who's got one to sell," Cam said. "If you really have to go I'll take you there tomorrow when Uncle David is through with Jess."

"All right," Sherman said. "Tomorrow morning when Doc McAllister is finished with Jess you take us to this horse."

"We'll have to have a special dinner," Hannah said. "How does pot roast sound? With strawberry shortcake for dessert?"

Jess' face lit up. "With whipped cream?" he asked eagerly.

"With whipped cream," she smiled.

"Oh boy!"

The next morning, at ten o'clock, Jess was in the doctor's office getting a thorough going over.

"Your wrists, and hands, have healed nicely," McAllister told his patient. "Your appetite, which seems to be somewhat of a legend - according to Slim - is good. Your fever is long since gone. However, I want to see if you gained any of that weight I wanted to see you put on." Indicating the scale standing in one corner of the office, he told Jess to take his boots off as they would add about five pounds to his weight. David McAllister wanted a true reading.

"One forty-five. Hmm, I'd really like to see you put on a little more weight but, from what Slim tells me you work it off as fast as you put it on."

The doctor went to the door and summoned Slim, who was sitting in the waiting room anxiously waiting to hear the prognosis.

"Slim, he's fine. I'd like to have seen him gain a little more weight, but I know you're both anxious to get home to Laramie."

"Does this mean I can finally take this worthless ranch hand of mine home?" Slim joked. "He needs to start earning his keep."

"Yes, you can take him home," David smiled. "However, I'd like him to do light work for a couple of weeks before you start cracking the whip over him."

"I promise, Doc," the blond said with a grin. "He can start out by chopping all the firewood and cleaning the barn by himself for two weeks - and do the cooking and cleaning. Then, when the two weeks are up he can start busting broncs and riding shotgun on the stage again. All right."

"Hey!" Jess protested. "What are you gonna be doing while I do all that?

David McAllister laughed. "I can see he's in good hands. Now get out of here and let me tend to my patients who really need me."

The two men from Laramie left the office feeling good. It was a relief to know that Jess was actually as healthy as he had seemed over the last few days. Cam was waiting for them as they exited the office, ready to take them to the horse she had picked out for Jess.

"So where is this horse you think I should buy for Jess?" Slim asked as they put their arms around her shoulders.

"My friend, Kerry Flanagan's grandpa is selling one of his four-year-olds," she told them. "He's a real looker and he has nice gaits too. Mr. Quinn can't ride any more but he been breeding Quarter Horse/Morgan crosses for the last few years. He's been getting a good price for them but I can talk him into selling you this one for what you can afford." She grinned impudently at the men. "Let me do all the talking while you check him out. He's an old softy where us 'little girls' are concerned. He'd do anything to make us happy. Kerry's already been working on him."

"Which one's Kerry?" Jess asked. "I can't keep all them Flanagan kids straight."

"She's the one with the light brown hair that wore the brown pants and green shirt the day we played hide and seek."

"Oh, yeah. The one I was trying to catch the day I tripped over that darned tree root."

"That's the one. Not many players can catch her."

"I can see why."

A few minutes later they had reached the small homestead where Peter Quinn lived. An older gentleman, in his mid-sixties, with silver hair and bright blue eyes came out to greet them.

"Well if it isn't little Cameron Ramsay," he said as he helped her down from the small carriage they had driven up in. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, as if I didn't know?"

Cam giggled. "You know perfectly well that I have a buyer for your four-year-old colt. My friend, Jess, needs a horse to get back to Laramie. The one he was riding fell, and broke its leg, a couple of weeks ago and Slim - he's the blond - had to put him down. Jess was sick so they've been staying with us while he recuperated." She introduced her two friends to Quinn who shook hands with them.

Jess was somewhat amazed at the strong grip the older man had.

"You know my policy, young lady," Quinn reminded her, "all buyers have to meet my requirements for ownership."

"Yes, Mr. Quinn, and I promise you that Slim, and Jess, meet them." She winked at her friends. "Now where is Galway?"

"He's in his pen by the barn. Come on. Let's see how well your friend gets along with him." The old Irishman led the way to the barn where a jet black colt raced around with several other young horses."

Jess' eyes lit up when he saw the horse Cam had in mind for him. With a low whistle he carefully climbed through the fence and started walking toward the high spirited animal.

"Come here, boy, c'mon. I won't hurt you. I just want to check you out. Let's be friends, okay?" the ex-gunfighter crooned to the colt who responded - hesitantly at first.

Eventually the colt overcame his suspicions of this stranger and put his nose into Jess' outstretched hand. Jess reached up and patted the colt's nose. He spent several minutes talking to the colt and making friends with it before finally swinging up on the horse's back with no saddle or bridle. He guided the colt around the pen by leg and voice cues.

From where Slim and Cam were standing they looked like one creature. Even Mr. Quinn was impressed - and he didn't impress easily. That's why he was so particular about who bought his animals.

"That boy knows how to ride," the older man said.

"Yes sir," Slim responded with a smile. "He sure does. He does most of the breaking, and training, of the ranch horses back home."

"Time we talked about price, then," Quinn said. "I don't think we have to ask your friend how he feels about that horse."

"How much are you asking?" Slim inquired.

"I was asking one hundred fifty but, for a friend of my granddaughter..."

"Ahem," Cam cleared her throat significantly. "How much did you say you wanted for that one?"

"As I was saying," the old breeder said. "I was asking one hundred fifty, but I really need to get rid of this one so I can concentrate on his two-year-old brother. How's seventy-five sound? He's no more than green broke no matter what your friend is able to do with him."

"Sold!" Slim shook hands with the man and arranged for payment by wire as soon as they got home. He paid another fifty for saddle and bridle and then the battle to get Jess' attention began.

"Hey, Jess, let's go," Slim called with a big grin on his face as Cam struggled to control her giggles and Quinn looked studiously off in the distance.

"He sure is a good horse," Jess said as he bade farewell - or so he thought - to the beauty he'd just ridden.

"He's all yours, my boy." Quinn laughed at the stunned expression on Jess' face. "Your friend just bought him, his bridle and saddle from me. See that you treat him right."

Quinn showed him which saddle and bridle belonged to Galway, as the colt was known. The Texan wasted no time in saddling, and bridling, the ebony black horse and happily rode him out of the pen. The horse pranced down the lane for a quarter of a mile before Jess turned back and grabbed Cam by the hand to pull her up behind him. The girl quickly wrapped her arms around his waist before they started down the road toward the McAllisters' home on the other side of town. Slim followed in the buggy after sealing the deal with Quinn and promising to wire the money as soon as he got home to Laramie.

Supper that night was a bittersweet occasion. Hannah had outdone herself with the pot roast. There was more than enough meat, potatoes and carrots to satisfy everyone - including the ever hungry Jess. The brunet's eyes lit up at the sight of the fresh strawberries and shortcake with whipped cream.

"We sure don't eat like this at home," he said with a sly glance at his partner.

"Especially when you do the cooking," Slim retorted.

Jess ate three helpings of everything including the strawberries and shortcake. Slim joked that he was going to make his new horse go swaybacked from carrying all that extra weight. Jess just ignored him and kept eating until he was stuffed.

"Stuffed silly," Hannah commented with a smile. "But he's healthy again and that's all that matters."

"You're right," Slim said with a smile. "Healthy and ready to go home."

It was barely daylight when the household rose the next morning. The visitors finished packing and put their saddlebags on the porch. The horses were groomed and fed so they'd be ready to go when the men were.

Hannah cooked an enormous breakfast of sausage, eggs, biscuits with jam or honey as well as fresh butter. Coffee for the adults and milk for Cam who sat between her two heroes. Jess ate three helpings of everything prompting more jokes about how he was going to wear his new horse out before they even got home. He just ignored Slim and kept eating.

Finally, breakfast was over and the dishes done. The travelers went out to the barn to saddle their horses. Galway was prancing and eager to go. Slim's horse was eager but more patient. The time had come to say good-bye and thank you. Cam was depressed. She wouldn't wish for Jess to be sick again but she did wish Laramie wasn't so far from Evergreen. She was going to miss her new friend.

"I'm even going to miss you," she told Slim as she hugged him good-bye and got a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm going to miss you, too, nuisance." He grinned as he tugged on her braid. "You're the first person in a long while to keep Jess occupied and in bed - or resting - when he was supposed to."

"Now, Jess," Hannah said, "you make sure you take it slow and easy getting back to work at the ranch. Make sure you eat and rest when you need to. I'll be checking up on you now and then."

Turning to Slim she said, "You make sure he does what David said. Light work for a couple of weeks and definitely no bronc busting!"

She pulled his head down to where she could reach and kissed his cheek.

"Bless you. Take care of yourself and Jess."

Jess got his turn next. He smiled shyly as Hannah kissed him and gave him a hug. Not until Daisy Cooper would come to live with them in another year would he have a mother figure to nurse him and admonish him to take care of himself.

When they were both mounted Hannah handed Slim a sack loaded with food and coffee as well as an old coffee pot and frying pan they could use on the way home. They still had a few days to ride before they would be home.

"There's cold chicken, biscuits, bread, a crock with some butter and another one with grape jelly. Some ham and tomatoes too. Half a pound of coffee. That ought to see you through a couple of days."

"I put some fish hooks and string in a sack, too," Cam said. "You might want trout for supper one night."

"Thanks for everything," Slim said as he turned his horse's head toward the road. "We'll send you a telegram when we get home."

"Thanks," Jess said as he followed his friend.

Four days later, the McAllisters received a wire from Laramie.

"Home safe. Jess doing well. Thanks for everything."