The Virginian - Out of the Past
The cows had been restless all morning and The Virginian and Trampas still had a good 10 miles to drive the herd of prime beef to the rail head. Something was riding The Virginian, but Trampas wasn't about to crowd the Bossman about what was on his mind, for The Virginian was not in a good mood between that, and this confounded herd of cows!
A shot was fired, it spooked the jumpy herd into a run, it was all Trampas and The Virginian could do to keep on their horses and not get trampled as the cows took off, riders appeared around the edged's of the herd, masked, they were rustlers!
Without another thought the two men from Shiloh started for their guns, but something stopped The Virginian dead for an instant, he looked as if he 'ed seen a ghost looking toward a pair of rustlers, but that's all they needed to get two shots at him and drop him from the saddle.
Enraged Trampas wasted no time dropping three of them and two cows before they trampled the Virginian who lay on the ground, as the dust began to clear and Trampas got down and ran over to his friends side, he gently picked up the Virginian by the shoulders and looked for signs of life. He stirred in pain, and gasped out;
"The Yank...D-don't trust 'em Trampas... Don't trust...an-anyone!"
The cloud of dust and distant gun fire drew the masked man and Indians attention, a glance between them was all the communication they need between each other to know which way they were riding as fast as their mounts could take them.
Of all the scrapes Bossman gets into this one beats all, shot while siting stock still on his horse, and letting this 'Yank' put two bullets in his chest, without so much as a sound!
Trampas thought to himself as he trying to stave off the bleeding and figuring out how to get The Virginian on a horse and to the nearest doctor, when he heard more hoof beats coming fast up the trail.
"what now?" he muttered.
The riders came into view, a masked man and an Indian, more trouble! Trampas didn't wait for them to come closer he drew his gun and fired two shots in their direction, if though's hombres thought they were going to rob or kill these cowboys down on their luck they had another thing coming!
"Stay back, I'll kill the next man who makes any more trouble for me!"
"We're not here to rob you!" called out the masked man. "We're friends, we want to help you!"
"I don't care if your head of the Calvary, git, and don't come near me, or I swear, I'll shot you dead!"
The Ranger and Tonto sized up the dead men lying around the sandy haired man, and the two dead steers and figured they best move on, and regroup.
"Kemosaby, there stampede here and other riders, but only two men, one wounded and the other very scared and defensive, him not let us near after all that."
"We'll have to convince him somehow we're on his side, he need's help and most of all the wounded man probley needs a doctor."
"You want me to come up behind him and take guns?"
"No, I think if I approach unarmed he may stand to reason, he seems like a straight forward cowhand, so we'll be straight forward with him."
"We both go unarmed, then him know we're being straightforward with him."
The men approached Trampas, but they had both deliberately had taken off their gun belts and hung them over their saddle horns!
Is this what The Virginian meant by not trusting anyone? What's their game trying to get close now?
"Hold it!" Trampas gently lowered The Virginian to the ground and stood up.
"What do you want, and who are you?" He demanded keeping his gun trained on them.
"Like I said we're friends here to help, we saw the cloud of dust and heard shots fired and came to see who was in trouble."
"Alright you spoke your peace, I don't trust masked men and injuns that ride up on people who's herds were just rustled, and who's friend just got shot, now don't come any closer or I'll kill you armed or unarmed savey!?"
"Wait, I'm going to toss something to you, and I want you to look at it, and tell me if it means anything to you." The masked man proceed to move slowly till he produced a something small from his belt and then tossed it to Trampas who caught it unblinking with one hand, and looked at the Silver Bullet that caught the suns light and glinted in his eyes.
Trampas' mind ran for a minuet as he tried to place the bullets meaning, the west was full of legends and folklore that was used to entertain men around a campfire or crowded into a bunkhouse, the man who fired silver bullets, rode a white horse, and an Indian, began to ring a bell.
"What, you saying your The Lone Ranger, ha! Since when does any man go around masked and ride a flashy white horse that anyone can spot a mile away!?"
"This one do." said Tonto rather dryly.
"Well, masked man you say your here to help, how do propose to do that, our cows are all run off, and so has most of the rustlers." Trampas indicated the rustlers who hadn't been so lucky, "Now, Lone Ranger, what's your idea of helping folks?" Trampas smiled wickedly with his gun still pointed at the pair not ready to surrender to them it seemed, when The Virginian stirred at his feet with a moan.
The smiled disappeared and Trampas cautiously kneed down to put a hand on the wounded mans shoulder.
"Easy Bossman, Easy, we're not out of the woods yet."
"Tr- Trampas, don't trust 'em, don't trust the Yank, d-d-don't..."
"Shhhh, save your strength, we'll get you to the doc, just lay easy now."
Trampas had only looked down for a moment to quiet The Virginian, when he looked up he saw that Tonto had also knelt down across the way, looking intently at his wounded friend, otherwise they hadn't moved any closer to him.
"Him lose much blood, and bleeding not yet stopped, you let Tonto help?"
Trampas was getting tired of standing here fighting with these two men who kept insisting to help, the Indian perhaps knew something that would at least keep the Bossman quiet.
"Alright, if your both so darn eager to help, then I'll let you come over here, but I'll still have my gun on you both, and if make one false move, I'll let you have it!"
Tonto noded "understood, you let me get medicine from horse?"
"I'll get it, don't want you near your gun!" Trampas circled them wide, and picked up the pouch Tonto described to him from Scout, he threw it to Tonto.
"Alright help him, and if he dies in your hands injun, I'll kill you!"
The Indian and masked man worked as a team the Indian ministered to the Virginian, while the masked man followed the Indians directions on which things were needed from the pouch to be ground up and used as a politesse or as mixture to dull pain.
Trampas watched carefully, but when the Indian sat back from his work, The Virginian seemed to be resting quietly, and the wounds were well bandaged.
"Bullets in to deep, for me to get out, he will need a doctor to get out bullets."
Trampas approached the men and indicated with his gun for them to step back from the Virginian, they followed his directions, and he looked the Virginian over himself to make sure they hadn't made him any worse. The Virginians breathing was more easy now, and his pulse even seemed a bit stronger, Trampas was feeling just a bit more at ease around this pair, but he wasn't going to let his guard down anytime soon, he sense there was still danger near by, and The Virginian was counting on him right now, he couldn't let his Bossman down.
"Alright, he seems pretty good, now both of you can put him on that big Appaloosa there!"
They again followed directions, Trampas mounted up behind the Virginian on Joe D, and made sure Bucks reins where secured to Joe D's saddle horn.
"Thank you, both for your help, I think I can do just fine on my own from here, now don't follow my trail, I'm still of a mind to shoot you two on sight!"
He rode off looking ever so often at his back trail, with that dogged feeling that he was being followed.
"Him scared Kemosaby."
"I know Tonto, he's had a tough day, we'll keep an eye on them from a good distance."
"You know anything about what wounded man call 'Yank?'"
"It sounds veagly familiar Tonto, I want some time to think, I'll do that as we ride, that cowhand will be headed for the nearest doctor, and if he knows of the wagon train near by, he'll be headed to see Doc. Wilson, who's on that train."
Trampas knew of the wagon train, and he had heard stories of Doc Wilson who never settled anywhere, he just traveled with the wagon trains going back and forth, taking care of the wounded and the sick.
He rode up and hailed the wagon master.
"I need to see the doctor!"
"Ok, cowboy, he's in the camp over yonder talkin' with the scout."
Trampas rode over. "Which one of you is Doc Wilson?"
"I am." said a tall dark haired man with blue eyes.
"Let me see him." Wilson took the Virginian in his arms and set him down on a bedroll near the fire, he began to check the bandages, and smiled as he looked under them.
"I see you met Tonto."
"You know them?" asked Trampas a bit surprised.
"Yes, a man couldn't have better friends then those two."
"Well, how is he then?" Trampas tried to change the subject, feeling like he was part of some sort of bad joke all of a sudden.
"He's unconscious, but those bullets need to come out, he's lost a good bit of blood, I may wait for dawn to go after the bullets, there will be better light, and it'll give him some time to rest."
Wilson changed the bandages, and Trampas was invited to have some coffee and give the horses a bait of corn form the wagon trains store. He was in no mood to go to sleep, this 'Yank' business bothered him, why hadn't the Virginian mentioned it before? Who was this Yank anyway, why couldn't 'anyone' be trusted? Did this have something to do with the Bossman's misty past?
He wouldn't know until the Virginian could talk, he would have to wait and watch for danger.
In the darkness the Ranger and Tonto circled the wagon train encampment taking in the perimeters.
"During the war the 'Yank' was a double agent for both the North and South, he would deliver information at a price to either side, and was used up until the South found out what he was doing, after that they tried to capture him and offered a reward for his capture, but he disappeared and was not heard from after the war, I heard stories about him from my bother and also from an ex-confederate solider once, seems that Jeb Stuart was the one who discovered the Yanks double crossing and was out to get him when his Calvary was surprised and wiped out by a Union ambush."
"You think this wounded cowhand know who Yank is?"
"I think he must at least know something of it, you notice something about his wounds Tonto?"
"Yes, they were over old scares, like him been shot before in same places."
"I wonder where the cowhand is from Tonto, and who he is, the other cowhand called him 'Bossman' so he must be in a position of leadership."
"Maybe we get chance to talk with him torrmorw?"
"I hope so Tonto, we'll have to be careful so as not to startle the other cowhand, since he still wasn't to sure of us."
"Maybe Wilson set him straight."
"I hope so Tonto, I hope so."
Trampas and two of the scouts held the Virginian down while Doc Wilson went for the two bullets still in his chest. The Virginian fought and yelled confused at all the pain he was now aware of, and what it was holding him back from fighting what was attacking him.
"Easy, Bossman, Easy, Doc's just gotta get those slugs out of your chest!" Trampas yelled as he tried to hold his friends shoulders down, he didn't like to have to be part of this procedure, holding down the Virginian in his "weakened" state was still taking all the strength he had to keep him still, and he didn't like to watch anyone suffer like that, especially one of his best friends.
It was a relief when Doc Wilson got the last one out, and he began re-dress and bandaged the wounds.
"Something funny about these wounds you know." Doc Wilson was saying as he worked.
"No, I don't know Doc, what about them?" Trampas was thinking, So maybe that Indian and masked man really weren't up to any good after all!
"Well the wounds that he has now, are almost exactly on top of what appears to be old wounds, you can make out some old scaring around both areas, you wouldn't happen to know where or when he may have been wounded in the same manner?"
"No Doc, I wouldn't know must have been before I knew him." You better be ready to talk when you come around Bossman, it looks like the past you would like to forget, ain't forgot you!
Annoyed Trampas sat down an took a long swallow of coffee.
"Doc, how long will it take for him to come around?"
"Oh, I guess it depends on how he does in the next day or two, whether there's infection or not, will determine when he'll be strong enough to talk." Wilson poured himself some coffee, and down the whole cup in one swallow, so he poured himself another cup. Wilson was a big man, tall, with a strong build, and well chiseled features, he spoke with a slight Texan drawl, with a pleasant easy going manner toward everyone around him, Trampas liked him, and liked keeping company with this trail doctor.
"Doc, what do you know of this masked man and Indian?"
"Oh, The Ranger and Tonto, well they're both always on the lookout it seems to help people in the kind of trouble that could get them killed, or put into some kind of hard place, So they appear when there's trouble, and disappear when it's all over, neither likes to stay 'fer thanks or any sort of reward."
"So them legends about 'em there's truth to them 'eh?"
"Yes, theirs a good bit of truth to them campfire yarns."
Two man examined the ground around where the rustling had taken place the day before, one was well dressed, and the other was dressed like a working cowman, the well dressed man scowled at the ground, and then glared at the cowhand.
"They better have not gone to far, if the Forman lives, then our plans aren't going to workout, if he gets a chance to say anything then this whole territory will ride us out on a rail!"
"He couldn't have survived with two slugs in his chest, it only took that much to make most of them rebs go under."
"Well one of them didn't go under that way the last time, and he may have escaped, so track them, and if he still so much as breathing, kill him!"
"Can't believe the wars over and we're still trying to clean the rebs out!"
"That one knows too much, so don't give him a chance to come around to this world again, understand?"
"Yes sir, Yank, I understand."
The Virginian went from resting easy that afternoon, to feverish and delirious by that evening, Doc Wilson shook his head when Trampas looked for answers.
"It's up him and the good Lord if he pulls through or not, I can't really say." Doc would say.
The wagon train was on schedule to pull out the next day, now that they had hunted some game and filled their water barrels and rested their stock, Trampas didn't like the situation one bit, but it looked like he would be taking the Virginian back to Shiloh on his own in this condition, and he still had no idea who the 'Yank' was or who he was to trust or not trust.
Might be he'll just take all of that with him to his grave! Trampas thought bitterly.
The night was a still and cool one, and a man worked along the ground on his belly, circling in closer to the scouts campfire, he 'ed seen the wounded man lying near it before sunset, and planed to make his move after dark, he could cut the man's throat before he made a sound, and leave before anyone missed him, they would be glad that the delirious cries and moans had stopped for a bit and think he was finally sleeping.
Only it'll be for eternity. He smirked to himself, and continued to crawl forward.
"It's an ambush men, RUN!" The Virginian sat bolt upright and shouted into the night.
Trampas and Doc Wilson began to coax him back down and reassure him.
"Easy Bossman, it's just a dream, you gotta rest and take it easy!"
"T-the Yank, he-he betrayed us... their all dead now... all dead."
Wilson brought over something and forced it between the Virginians lips.
"Here take this, you'll feel better once you've downed this drink."
He choked a bit on the bitter drink, but took it, and started to feel calmer and began to settle back on the bed roll.
"That's right, now sleep." Doc Wilson patted his shoulder as he lay down again.
Good, their making it easier for me to get in there and put that one to sleep forever!
As Wilson and Trampas turned to the fire, the rustler moved up in the brush beside the Virginian, his knife drawn out.
Good-bye, Johnny Reb!
A brown hand clapped over the rustlers mouth and another twisted the hand with the knife behind his back, his muffled surprised cry brought Trampas and Wilson over to them in one moment they had crossed the short span of space and drawn their weapons to bear on the intruders.
"That you Doc Wilson?"
"Yes, hey Tonto what's going on here?"
"We caught this man sneaking up on your camp, he was about to knife the wounded man when Tonto stopped him." came The Rangers voice from the other side of the campfire.
The scouts and Trampas seemed a bit bewildered, but Wilson was glad to see them.
"Glad you two showed up here." said Wilson.
"Well now that you caught him, what are going to do with him?" asked Trampas.
"We'll take him to the nearest town for questioning, and we'll help you move the wounded man there also so he can rest." The Ranger was brisk and all business, the rustler glared at them all as the Indian held him pinned to the ground.
The Ranger handed Tonto some rope and they began to tie him up.
"Well, it's nice of you both to offer to move him to town, but he should really moved to the Shiloh Ranch, we both work for that outfit, they'll be wondering what's happen to me and their Forman, and to that bunch we were taking to the stock yards." Trampas was a bit embarrassed now, seeing how he had treated them earlier didn't seem right, after all the trouble they gone through to take care of him and the Virginian.
"Say, you know I was kind of rough with you both back there on the trail, and well, I see things different now."
"It's alright, many have mistaken my mask for that of an outlaw in the past, there's no hard feelings." The Lone Ranger extended his hand to Trampas who took it and shook it.
"No hard feelings." Trampas also took Tonto's hand in a strong hand shake.
"I don't think we've ever been properly introduced yet, what handles do you and your Forman go by?" asked the Ranger.
"Oh, Uh, I go by Trampas, and Bossman here just goes by the Virginian."
"Is that where he's from then?"
"Yes, he was in the war and fought alongside Jeb Stuart, I think."
"If that's true, then that might explain a few things."
"Well then if think you know what's going on Ranger, would you let me hear, 'cause I've sure been in the dark here over this whole time and would appreciate to know just what we're up against."
"Of course, I'll tell you what we know so far, and in the morning we'll head out."
By morning the Yanks right hand man had not returned from his mission, and he was beginning to worry, he went out from the small ranch he had bought just recently, and he rode for the place where he had last been with his man.
He picked up the trail and followed it to the wagon train encampment which had been deserted a few hours now, the wagons kept going along there trail, but a group of about 5 horseman had gone off toward Medicine Bow.
But one horse seemed to pulling something behind it, what the Indians called a Travois, which they used to transport furs, and gear, but also their sick or wounded.
"I hope that's not the Reb I sent you to kill, Cash." Muttered the Yank to himself. "But if it is, you'll also be dead as he will be once I'm through."
Judge Garth had been missing his Forman and one of his other top hands for three days, and they were supposed to be back by late last evening and no later than that morning, and still there was no sign of them.
But finally later in the afternoon Trampas arrived with two strangers and one prisoner, and the Virginian wounded and in bad shape. The story that Trampas related was a bit odd but it was clear that the two strangers had saved the Virginians life and were now going to take this man who had tried to kill him, to the sheriff who the masked man said that the sheriff knew him and that there shouldn't be to much trouble, except for this 'Yank' fellah who no one seemed to have a description of, but maybe the prisoner would give them, or the Virginian if he was to come to again.
The masked man and Indian carried on toward town, while the Judge sent Randy into town on a fast horse to fetch the doctor there.
"A fine kettle of fish this is." muttered the Judge in Trampas' hearing.
"My Forman caught in some kind of old war conspiracy, and not able to tell me just what the heck's going on!"
If he ever will be able to tell you what's going on. thought Trampas. if there was ever a time you needed to come through for us, Bossman, its now!
The Virginians mind was a muttle of the war, the ranch, and sometimes it came around to the present, which was a haze of strangers, Trampas, and sometimes the Judge.
It was hot now, and often painful, as painful as the past had been then.
The Yank was somewhere, the Virginian had seen the Yank talking to the Judge the morning he and Trampas were taking that herd to the stock yards, he should have known the Yank won't waste time sending that man out after him, who had shot him in the mountains of Virginia and now in the hills of Wyoming.
He had almost died then, and his spirit was threatening to leave him now, amidst the fever, pain, and death that was so close now he could almost see it's eyes looking at him from the darkness.
"But the Yanks here." he told death. "Their all in danger, I must warn them before he gets them!"
But death would just stare back at him, like a wolf ready to take him the moment he fell.
The man would had attempted to murder the Virginian wouldn't talk, when the sheriff and the Ranger interrogated him with Tonto looking sollum and threating at him the whole time, the man wouldn't cave. The Ranger left the man with the sheriff and step out and got on his horse and began to ride out of town Tonto following close behind. When they had gone a mile out of town the Ranger reined up at a small stream and let his horse stop to drink Tonto did like wise.
The Ranger didn't speak for a long while then he looked at Tonto and began to speak his thoughts carefully.
"Tonto, there's a very dangerous man on the loose, and very seriously injured man, and there's this killer who wouldn't give the man who's hired him away."
He paused after summing up the situation to his understanding.
"The Yank has to be after something here in Medicine Bow or in Wyoming that is worth killing this man, and possibly burying his past, but until we have a description, we're going to have to stay alert."
"You have plan Kemosaby?" inquired Tonto.
"Just that its best that we stay close to the Shiloh Ranch, eigther way the Yank may attempt to finish the Forman off, or the Virginian may come to and tell us something."
The Indian agreed, and the two rode off.
The Yank had watched the masked man and Tonto leave the sheriffs office, he had heard of The Lone Ranger, now seeing him he believed in him.
His frown deepened as he pondered his situation, Wyoming was going to be his new home, from which he would use his wealth to gain influence in the young western state, and build the kind of empire for himself that he couldn't back east where his old history maybe to well known.
He thought only The Virginian stood in his way, he had only seen him briefly at the Judges ranch while finalizing a few things about his own new place, he then lost no time in sending Cash to dispatched with him. The plan to make it look like rustlers had been a clever twist put out there by Lisa, who was often helpful in such matters.
He would talk with her, and make new plans, the masked mans appearance suggested he had reason to suspect fowl play somewhere as far as Cash was concerned.
All the same it was a major complication not to be ignored, he would discus it with Lisa, and hope that Cash's loyalty from the war still held, and that The Virginian stayed quiet.
"Your certainly not your cheerful self, dear." Chided Lisa, as she greeted the Yank.
"Well a few problems have come up Lisa." he replied, already tired of her overly sweet voice.
"What's come up then, to put such a wrinkle on your forehead?"
"The Virginians not dead, Cash failed Lisa, and now The Lone Ranger seems to be sticking his masked face where it don't belong!"
"My goodness my dear, you do have quiet a few problems to be concerned about, has The Virginian talked then?" There was just an edge in her voice as she mention The Virginian, she knew well the whole case against the Yank could stand up in a court of law if what the Virginian knew was to become known.
"No, he's in a bad way, Cash made sure of that much, but he might just come to long enough to spill the beans, and with that Lone Ranger around it wouldn't take long for him to be on our trail."
"Well then dear, let me handle The Virginian, but in my own way, since your going to have to do something about The Lone Ranger, and be sure you cover all your tracks well, so he can't pick up any of your trails."
"You think you can do any better then Cash?" the furrow on the Yanks brow deepen.
"Well I gave Cash his bright idea, of making it look like cattle thieves, picking up a few roughs at a saloon, and paying them off on the sale of stolen cows, once the brand is changed, I think I have a few good ideas that helped me in my work during the war, so they can help you now."
"Alright, Lisa, do it your way, just this time make sure he's dead for good!"
"Of course dear it's what I do best!"
It had been four days now since The Virginian had been wounded and there still wasn't much change in his condition.
Trampas had watched the doctor from town come a go, and the doctor had left some medicine to keep the Virginian comfortable, but as to wether he thought the Virginian would recover or not, he couldn't really say, or wouldn't say.
The Judge was in a bad mood because of it all, and miss Betsy was just sad and on the verge of crying most of the time, Trampas didn't know what he would do if she burst into tears in front of him, crying girls made him kind of uneasy. What would make it worse is if you burst into tears yourself! The thought that cross Trampas' mind made him jump. Me? Cry? Ha! hog wash! But you do love him like a brother, and if a brother like that dies you- Stop it!
"How is he doing Trampas?" The Rangers voice intruded on Trampas' thoughts, he turned to see that the two men had ridden all the way up to the ranch without him having noticed them once.
"Oh- he's...the same." Trampas didn't much like the sound of his voice right now.
"Him in a bad way eh?" the Indian asked, all Trampas could do was nod, his throat now felt real tight.
"What did the doctor from town say?"
"Just- that he-he couldn't really tell us much."
"So him not know when feller be able to talk?"
"No, he don't know when Injun, now would you excuse me." Trampas moved away from the pair at a brisk walk toward the barn, a strange mist was coming into his line of vision and he needed to clear it alone.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto camped outside even though they were offered places in the bunkhouse, they declined and said that they felt they could keep just as good an eye on things, watching and observing from a short distance form the main house and yard.
"Hello the camp!" called out a familiar voice from the darkness, as the two men ate their dinner.
"Come on over Doc!" the Ranger called back.
"How's the fellah doing that I patched up a few days back?"
"Him, same if not worse." replied Tonto.
"Well, I guess there was alot more going on with him then just wounds, I'd say he was still hutin' inside from whatever happened to him back during the war." Doc Wilson took a tin cup offered by the Ranger and downed the coffee in it, and poured himself another cup.
"I figured there was something like that going on, but there's still this Yank on the lose, and we don't know who he is or what he looks like."
"Why you still not with wagon train?" Tonto asked abruptly, wondering what would make Wilson leave his 'charges' on the train.
"The train found a Valley that they all liked about 2 days out, and deiced not to go any further, since no whites or Indians had claimed it yet they did, and I went on back this way, wondering what had happened to you two and that fellah." Said Wilson placidly as he drank his coffee.
"I would like to see this fellah in the morning if it's not to much trouble."
"I think that would be fine, a second opinion may be in order."
"You get sleep Doctor, and we see fellah in morning."
The Doctor from town was up bright and early and was driving to Shiloh with a pretty nurse who had just come into town, looking for work, and since he was the town Doctor maybe he knew someone who might need around the clock attention. His mind went naturally to the Virginian, and the Garth's he though would appreciate the help, brought the nurse round that morning, to meet the Garth's and the patient.
He drove up to the front of the house and one of the hands came forward to help the nurse down, The Doctor met the Judge on the porch.
"Any change since I last saw him?"
"No Doctor, there's not been any change, just another Doctors looking at him now, he's the one that patch the Virginian out on the trail so that he could be brought here."
"Oh, I see, I would still like to look at him myself of course, and I brought a nurse out to help you all look after him, Judge this is Lisa Banks, and Lisa this is Judge Garth."
"How do you do Judge." Lisa extended her hand in a polite hand shake that the Judge returned.
"Glad to have you both, the Virginian needs all the help he can get!"
They all entered the room, where Wilson was talking with Betsy and Trampas, as he looked over the Virginian, who let out a moan as the Judge, Doctor, and Nurse stepped into the room.
Death had been close at hand and now it turned from darkness with wolfish eyes to that of a large black she wolf who growled low and threating at the Virginian, she had no qualms about ending it all here and now, before he could get to the surface somehow and communicate the danger they were all in, he couldn't fight her alone, he was too weak.
Trampas, where's Trampas?
"Tr-Tr-Trampas!" came the Virginians weak voice.
"Tr-Trampas!"
"Here Bossman, I'm right here."
"Th-the sh-sh-she wolf, d-don't l-l-let her come n-nea- near." His voice was so low Trampas had to bend down close to hear the Virginian, but he didn't understand what he meant by a "she wolf" was he just delirious, or did have something to do with the 'Yank.'
"He saying something about a she wolf."
"Poor thing must be delirious." came the Nurses calm voice.
The Virginian again moaned.
"Trampas, th-the She-Wolf d-don't let h-her near!" The voice was weak, but earnest and pleading.
Trampas felt bad and looked over at the group standing around the bed.
"there's something I could give him make him rest easy, would you mind doctor, nurse?" Wilson offered to help.
"Yes, of course go ahead, he needs to stay quiet if he's going to get well again." agreed the town Doctor.
Lisa waited for Wilson to minister to the Virginian, and for the town doctor to do his exam of the patient. She was given instructions as to how the doctor wished her administer the medicine he was leaving her with. She assuring him that the patient was in good hands that she wouldn't let him out of her sight.
She watched him and was carefully making her plans for her next move.
It would have to be done later in the evening, when it was least likely to anyone around inter fearing or peaking in, a pillow over the face would be the safest way to get rid of him, and leave no trace of any sudden and unnatural death. It would seem he had died in his sleep, of the wounds and fever that had pledged him these last few days.
But over the course of the day, she would play nurse to him, and get a bit into the family's good graces, before smothering him that night.
Trampas found himself at the Ranger and Tonto's camp along with Doc Wilson, mulling over that days events, something was bothering him, and he couldn't figure out what it was.
"Any sucess in finding out who the Yank is mister?" Asked Trampas of the Lone Ranger.
"Nothing as of yet, we believe he'll either show himself here, or the Virginian might be able to give us his description." Replied the Ranger.
Trampas swirled his coffee around in his mug as he again tried to go over what the Virginian had said about a "she-wolf."
"I'll bet the Judge and his daughter are glad to have that nurse helping them look after the Virginian, they both seemed so tired." Wilson remarked.
Something began to click into place in Trampas' mind, when the Virginian had first started to moan it was when she entered the room!
Trampas slammed down his mug on to the rock beside him.
"She's the she wolf!" he exclaimed and began trotting toward the main house.
"What?!" the others looked at each other and started to follow after Trampas.
"Where she wolf?" asked Tonto.
"She's the she wolf, the nurse!" Trampas called back, and started to run.
The she wolf watched him for along time, and waited till the others where out of sight, and out of hearing, before she began to close in on him. The Virginian made an attempt to call out to get away, but his body wouldn't respond, it wouldn't move or make a sound.
She went right for the throat, and began to strangle him.
Trampas made his way up the stairs quickly and jerked open the door to the Virginians room to find the nurse pressing a pillow over his friends face.
Angry and shocked having caught her in the act, he strode over to her and threw her aside and threw the pillow after her, and quickly coming behind the Virginian to prop him up so that he could catch his breath more easily as it came in ragged gassps and coughs.
"I'm sorry Bossman, I'm sorry, I should have seen what she was sooner." Trampas spoke quietly to the Virginian.
Trampas had gotten there just in time and thrown the she wolf off of him, the Virginian was panting and gasping for air, as Trampas held him up so he could breath easier.
But the she wolf was still there, getting back upon her feet, teeth flashed at Trampas and she was about to attack him the Virginian called out;
"Trampas, look out!"
Trampas looked up as Lisa brought a gun to bear on him, but another gun barked and her gun flew from her hands across the room, she cried out in pain.
The Ranger strode in the room his own gun drawn and smoking, with Tonto and Doc Wilson following close behind.
The rukus had awakened the household, so that the Judge and Besty appeard in the room shortly afterward taking in the secne with Trampas holding the Virginian, and the Ranger and Tonto guarding the nurse as Wilson looked over the Virginian.
"Whats all this?" demaned the Judge.
"She tried to kill the Virginian, Judge, this so called 'nurse' ain't nothin' but a she wolf!" declared Trampas.
"So thats what he meat." gasped Besty as she grasped the meaning of it all.
"You, your conected to this Yank, if you tell us where he is, and who he is, things might go easier in your future." The Ranger was wasting no time in questioning her.
Lisa just glared at him, her plan foyled by a dumb cow hand, and now this masked man that the 'Yank' was supposed to be taking care of was questioning her!
She won't talk, just scowled at them as she held her stinging hand.
"You better talk, missy, or i'll throw you under the jail!" The Judge wasn't going to put up with this silence for much longer, and Lisa saw that her time for silence was running out.
"Who's this 'Yank?'" barked the Judge.
"The Yank, so you call him is going by the name of Hains, Ralph Hains, he just bought a ranch near here, and was going to settle down when this 'reb' he called him, started threating to expose him if he didn't pay up, so he felt he had no choice but silence this man." replied Lisa, rather calmly.
"Thats a lie!" Trampas retorted. "The Virginian would never blackmail anyone, she's flat out lieing Jugde!"
"We'll check her facts, and take her into town in the morning, but for now the rest of you will need sleep, and Tonto and I can guard her till morning." The Ranger offered.
"Fine." growled Judge Garth. "Hows the Virginian Wilson?"
"Not too bad, I've given him somthing to help him sleep and ease the pain, other than that he's not to bad for whats all happend to him these last few days."
The Yank was confident that Lisa would take care of the Virginian and he would set a trap for the masked man and idian out on the back trails around Shiloh, it seemed to be the place the masked man was hanging around, so he found a well hidden gulch, and picked a place to hide while keeping the gulch in view, he was a crack shot, and could down the pair before they knew what hit them.
Then he would bury the bodys and gear, and run off the two horses, the mystriouse masked rider wouldn't be missed that much, and the indian would be of no consequence, two strangers came and went, thats all what anyone would know.
But as the morning went on and he heard the horses foot falls, and what came into view displeased him. Lisa a prisoner, riding sullen between the two men.
Something had gone wrong, how wrong he wasn't sure, but if they now had Lisa and Cash, the chances of his secrets becoming known were now doubled, now Lisa would have to be among those who ended up in the earth today.
Silver spooked just a moment a shot rang out and caught the masked man so that he fell from his saddle, the next one got Lisa, who screamed, but was quickly sileced by a bullet.
Tonto seeing the first two go down kicked Scout into a lope straight for the place where the gun fire came from with his own weapons drawn.
The Yank becoming scared by the idians sudden charge and quick respons made him re-think some of his planing so he backed off quickly into the brush where a horse was tied, and began to ride out of there fast and hard.
Tonto hearing th retreating horse and seeing the signs for only one dry gulcher returned to where he had left the Ranger and the woman. Tonto came into view of the gulch where now the Ranger stood over Lisa, his shoulder was bloody but he other wise seemed alright.
"Did you run him off Tonto?"
"Yes, how's woman?"
"Dead, I'm afraid."
"Your shoulder need fixing."
"It's not to bad, Tonto, right now that same dry gulcher may be headed to do the same thing to our other prisoner, we're getting close Tonto, we're getting closer to who this Yank is and he's getting uneasie about us, so lets wrap her in a blanket and get to town as soon as we can!"
The Yank made his back trail as difficult to follow as he knew how to make it, he would have to get back to his ranch, and start making himself into a respectible citizen of Medicine Bow, and not running around shooting and hiding from people like he did in the old days.
To become the teritorys govener or senator he who have to be trustworthy, and honest. The Virginians re-appearing hadn't been good, and his refusing to simply die, was another wrinkle.
"He must die, he must die soon, or I'm finished in this life." said the Yank to himself earnestly. "He must die or I'm finished!"
Even seeing Lisa's body didn't stir Cash to talking, and The Ranger and Tonto needed a break in the case, it was getting old this stopping one attemp after another on the Virginians life, and one of these days it one was bound to sucseed.
"Do you know anyone in town by the name of Ralph Hains, Sheriff?" inquired the Ranger.
"No, dosen't ring a bell with me."
"Is there anyone new in town?"
"Well there are a few newcomers, a family, the Masons, just moved to a farm outside of town, and then theres a new parson and his wife that just come out here, and theres a fellah who bought a litttle spread of land that he's looking to ranch it seems."
"Could you give me directions as to where we might find these people sheriff?"
"Sure, I can give 'em to you."
In no time the Ranger and Tonto were headed out, riding for the place they had been ambushed, they looked closely at the ground where he had waited, there was ciguret ash, but whoever had waited for them had picked up the butts and matches, only leaving the ashs to hint at what he had been doing as he waited.
"There tracks we can follow, but only thing here shells from gun and ash from tobaco."
"There maybe somthing we can learn from both the shells and the ashes, Tonto, we'll save them and look at them latter but for now we'll see where this trail takes us."
They followed the round about trail, that went over hard ground, and through a stream, but each time the Idians found it again with ease, these where old tricks that he had seen conutless times, if there was one thing he could deduce from these tracks it was this person was a tenderfoot, cleaver perhaps, but a tenderfoot.
It led them to a ranch, and a coral with a few horses, one looked like it had been riden recently. The pair exchanged glances, and moved toward the house, and took up under an open window to hear a voice speaking low and hard; "He must die, or i'm finished!"
A knock came on the door, and the same voice called out; "Come in."
"I'm looking for a Ray Heart."
"Yes, I'm he, what can I do for you?"
"This notice in the paper says your ranch is looking for hands, was wondering if you would like to hire me?"
"Why of course, just tell me what you can do and what experiance you've had in the past and we'll se about it."
The conversation took the natural course of an interview and the Ranger and Tonto began to look over the barn, the Ranger found more clues in that there were shells and more ash that looked like what they had found earlier in the day.
"Tonto we may have found the Yank, but we still need solid proof that he is the Yank, the kind that would stand in a court of law."
"The Virginian may be only one who be able to do that."
"I know, but in the mean time we'll have to keep looking for a chance to prove who murdered the woman and who's tried to murder the Virginian."
The night began to fall over Shiloh again, and the masked man and idian hadn't returned with any word on if they had been able to find out if the woman's lead on 'Ralph Hains' was working out or not.
Trampas crossed the yard from the bunkhouse to the main house to see how the Bossman was getting along under Doc Wilsons care, who was staying on to help watch over the Virginian.
Trampas hoped that tonight wasn't like last night, and that the Virginian would find the strength to pull through finialy.
The night may have seemed still to the casual observer, but it was active with figures moving cautiously closer to the Shiloh Ranch.
The Yank was going to have to perform the fatal blow himself, and the Ranger and Tonto were not far behind, they were moving slow partly bacause they wanted to stay out of sight, the other because the Rangers shoulder bothered him from the morning incident.
"Your tired." Observed Tonto.
"Yes, but there will plenty of time to rest after we've caught the Yank."
They continued to follow in silence, Tonto keeping his eyes ahead, and looking every so often to make sure the Ranger was still keeping pace with him as they rode on.
The Virginians mind was slowly clearing and the darkness that had been threating to take his soul now began to lift off of him, looseing its grip, and again he began to make out the room, and the forms in it. He could make out the light that came form the lamps, and the figure of a tall stranger who seemed to be around alot as of late, and then there was Besty, Judge Garth, and Trampas.
He had to tell them what he had seen in Virginia and what he knew of the Yank, or they were all in danger of his ruthlessness and cunning.
"I think he's coming 'round." came the strangers voice.
"It's about time." came the Judges voice.
"Bossman, can you hear me?" Trampas of course, first to speak to him.
"Yeah, I-I can." his weak reply was noted with silence in the room, he had to keep talking before the darkness reclaimed him though.
"The Y-Yank was a spy b-back in the war - he told the yankies w-where we were, b-b-be-because we knew who he was... s-saw him talking to them before they am-ambushed another detachment of s-soliders and warned them." he began to cough so the stranger who seemed to be his caregiver for the time brought him water, he took it and continued.
"The Yank t-then knew we had seen - seen him and his days working would be no more, and we knew what he-he looked like, so he set the yankies on us, one of them worked with him alot...c-called him 'Cash' he was involved in the ambush that cleared out Stuarts calvery...d-didn't have a chance, he made sure we wouldn't l-live to see another day." His voice caught, it was the pain from all those years coming back to haught him, he'ed come out here to leave it behind, but now it returned with avengence, the battles, the dead, how the whole once beautiful Virginian coutryside was turned into one endless battlefield, burned out farms, lost slaves, woman and children wondering looking for somewhere safe, but there was none to find. They all faced hunger, cold, and sickness, and fighting always fighting.
He was silent for awhile trying to re-focuse, the Yank, what else was there about him?
"What does the Yank look like Virgininan?" The Judge helped him back on track.
"He-he was medium sized fellah, black hair, and gray eye-eyes, dressed well mostly."
The Virginian signed, he was tired, he had finially given them the information they needed to be on the lookout should this persom try to harm them in any way, it had taken all of his strentgh though, he was ready for sleep now.
"we'll be watching out for him Bossman, you can rest easy now." Trampas resured him.
"Thanks." was all the Virginian could manage before he was out again.
The Ranger and Tonto had finally come up behind the supected Yank and were watching him, as he watched the main house on the Shiloh ranch. He stayed hidden in the darkness and brush, waiting for things to quiet down.
Finially the lights in the bunkhouse went dark, and those of the main house went dark, except for one dim light upstairs.
The Ranger and Tonto knew it was the injured mans room, and the Yank perhaps suspected thats what it was, he waited a good half hour after the lights had gone out, and began to move in closer.
That dim light thats not out, it must be the room they're keeping him in.
The Yank felt emboldened and carefully began to work his way toward the house, he'd seen no dogs to perster him, and he had taken care to wear dark clothing, and mocosans that made no sound as he walked.
He came around to the back kitchen door and found it opened easily.
Are they expecting me? he suddenly wondered. They've been attacked, they shouldnt be this careless. his mind began to whirl with possbiltys as what to do next. Should I wait and try another night? No, he might talk any moment, the window, it was above the covered portch! of course, somthing a bit more daring. he smiled to himself and backed slowly away from the door into the darkness, and waited awhile.
A sandy haired cowboy appeared in the door way with a loaded shot gun in hand, he looked about for moment and shook his head.
"guess I scared him off." he muttered, and disappeared into the house.
So theres a guard, I'll have to take of that then.
The Yank had forgotten how much he had enjoyed this work, and just how much he missed it, he had to smile to himself again, he was going to take his time, and enjoy this one.
Kill that reb, and that cowhand guard, no ones getting in my way tonight!
He climbed softly up the porch railing, then the support poles, to the roof. It was tin, so he had to be carefull not to make a sound on it, the window had a fine lace curtain, he had to make sure no one was watching, so he threw a pebble at the window to see who would appear and respond to the noise, as he croched off to the side waiting.
Someone did come to the window and first stuck a gun out then came the head and shoulders of a large man, who looked down into the yard.
The Yank with one swift movment caught the big mans head with the butt of his gun, so that the man slumped over the window sill, the Yank waited to see if there was anyone else who would come forward, but none did, so he climbed in over the man.
He saw the bed where the reb lay still, he would kill this one silently with a knife through his heart, where Cashs bullets should've have went, but didn't.
He drew the knife and threw back the quilt on the bed to get a clear view of his target, only to find a pile of pilows arranged in a fashion as to trick one.
He froze as a comanding voice filled the room: "You can turn up the lights, Jugde, and take this would be murder of your forman in."
The Ranger had his gun leveled at the Yank, as Tonto quickly disarmed him. Wilson came away from the window, not hurt or phased in the least, the blow had been hardley felt by the strong trail doctor.
"This man fits the discrption the Virginian gave us perfectly." remarked the Judge. "Things should tie up pretty well at his trial."
The Yank remained silent, and sullen, relizing he'ed failed in his task, and the reb would finialy get him in the end, he couldn't fight all these men at once, and all he could do was not give them the satifatcion of seeing him break in front of them.
Trampas stuck his head in the room and looked at the Yank, and shook his head.
"Glad to see him tied up, now if you'll let me give him the thrashing he should get for trying to kill us out on the trail with a stamped I'de be greatful."
"He's going to trial Trampas, now git and keep watch over the Virginian." growled the Judge.
"But Bossmans awake, and says he's hungry, so I thought you and Wilson would want to see him first, before I run down to get him somthing."
"Alright then, I'll see him." Said Wilson as he made his way out to the next room where they had moved the Virginian, for the purpose of trapping the Yank.
"He's awake, good things are starting to get back to normal, I'll have a talk with my forman and make sure there won't be any other 'yanks' looking to trail him out here." The Judge was starting to feel relived as he went over, and as the masked man and indian took the Yank off the ranch to town.
2 Months Later
The Virginian was greatful to be sitting in the saddle upon Joe D's back sizing up the country side. The Trial of the man who he had known as the Yank had taken place yesterday, and it had been the talk of the whole territory as soon as word got out that a special Jugde was being called in to preside over it (since Garth felt he won't be able to judge it farliy since it was his forman who had been shot by the party in question.) also that one of the people who would be showing up to testfy would be The Lone Ranger.
The Virginian hadn't been able to see or thank the Ranger until yesterday, cause the Ranger had dissapeared after turning over the Yank to the law, and the Virginian still had some recovering to do and wasn't going to be riding any time soon. Wilson had stayed on in that time to make sure he heald, and besides he and Trampas had become good friends it seemed. But as soon as the trial had ended Wilson had headed out, to catch a wagon trian moving through that had lost its trail doctor to fever.
The trial lasted for 5 hours 'cause the lawyers and judge were enjoying the crowd that was packed into the court room and all the news paper men from the east had come to cover the sensation, it was hot uncomfortable, and stuffy in the room, but they laid out the case in detail before the whole court room.
So when the jury gave the judge the verdict that the two men known as Cashas 'Cash' Bales and the 'Yank' alas Ray Heart, alas Ralph Haines, and alas Ben Keller was found guilty of the murder of Lisa Hamrook and the attempted murder of the Virginian.
The judge passed the sentence that the Yank and Cash were to hang the next morning, and so it happened that way, with half the territory watching, but the Virginian hadn't watched, he caught the Ranger and Tonto, behind the court house, and thanked the pair for looking out for him, he owed them that much.
He had shook their hands and watched them ride off the masked man's dramatic cry of "Hi-Yo-Silver! Away!" rang out as they rode off.
Now he was free and clear of it, his past finialy put to rest behind him. Trampas rode up along side of him and looked pleased as all get out, he had gone to the hanging that morning, and was satified that he had seen justice do right by his Bossman.
"Are we rounding up the calves for branding, or are we mending the fences this afternoone?"
"We're rounding up the calves, and then theres the matter of taking that herd to the rail head."
"Any thing you want to tell me before we drive another herd to the rail head?"
"No, just that I'm ramroding it and your driving it, is that clear?"
"Yes, sir, Bossman, its clear."
"Good, let's ride."
The End