The Medicine Wheel

by DreamWvr73

A fugitive enters Min and Daniel's life along with a new town doctor. What changes will they to Hazzard? Written by Dreamwvr73 and TwoTrails4860

"And so the circle of life is complete dear Friends, for another soul has slipped past its mortal coil. And somewhere out there as our dear brother has gone, a new life has come to take his place. This is the way of things my friends, the way of life. The service has come to and end, go in peace."

The words hung heavy in the air as the Reverend Ballant closed his Bible and looked down at the silver casket. The grey haired man shook his head sadly; he and Amos Petticord had been friends for a long time.

There were less than a dozen people gathered around the large hole in the ground, bidding farewell to the old country doctor. Among them were Bo and Michelle, Luke and Donna, Min and Daniel and Cooter Davenport. All of them dressed in the traditional color of mourning, their faces were solemn as they departed one by one.

"I can't believe Ol' Doc is gone!" Cooter exclaimed to the Duke family as he walked towards his car, a big blue Caddy that he drove himself. "He's been around ever since I was a kid!"

Min was holding Daniel's hand as the couple walked beside Cooter. She sighed and nodded sadly. "Yeah he has, it's hard to believe I won't be seeing him anymore at the Orphanage examining the kids or at the store talking to Mr. Rhuebottom."

Bo and Michelle were walking behind Min, and Bo whispered in his sister's ear. "Hey Min, isn't that one of Uncle Jesse's suits that Daniel's wearing?"

The young woman cleared her throat and looked at her brother. "Altered a lot but yeah, he didn't have any black dye for his buckskin."

Bo chuckled. "It's still a little small." He looked down at the big Cheyenne's feet, where his ankles were visible below the cuffs. Michelle elbowed her boyfriend lightly. "Bo Duke, you be polite!"

Min looked at her brother's girlfriend. "Thank you Michelle, next time aim for his head!" She gave Daniel's hand a squeeze and whispered a few words to him in Cheyenne. "Don't listen to my brother; sometimes he speaks as though he's been kicked in the head."

Heat crept into Daniel's cheeks. He'd only been among these white people for two or three moons, and still felt like a black colt in a herd full of white ponies. "Your brother speaks straight; I look foolish in this clothing." He replied as they reached the parking lot.

Min got out of car keys and unlocked the door to Darlin'. "No one cares how you look Daniel what's important is that you were with me when I needed you to be." She tugged on his wrist and he turned to face her. She gave him a peck on the lips. "It means a lot to me that you were."

"So what's Hazzard going to do without a doctor?" Michelle asked as they paused next to The General.

Luke and Donna were walking hand in hand. Donna was a petite woman with light, almost strawberry blonde hair. She had large hazel eyes, a gentle smile, and a curvaceous build. It was plain to see why Luke Duke was so nuts for her. Luke was holding her hand proudly as they walked. "I don't know Michelle, maybe Cooter will run an ad in the Atlanta paper."

"Or maybe they'll hire someone from Tri-County." Bo interjected as he helped Michelle into The General and then slid into the driver's side window.

Min opened the driver side door of Darlin'. "Cooter and I will look into it. We'll take care of it, don't worry."

Bo rolled his eyes. "Oh great, put a girl in charge!" He started up the engine and ducked Michelle's playful swing at his head. "See you later!" They pulled out, followed by Luke and Donna in Luke's dark blue Camaro. Cooter passed them in his Caddy, leaving Min and Daniel alone in the parking lot.

"You ready to go home Daniel?"

"Yes. Will it truly be your job to find the town a new medicine man?" He asked as they got into Darlin' and Min backed the mustang up.

"I'm the assistant to the County Commissioner, and we're a town without a doctor now. Cooter probably won't have the time to do is so it'll be up to me."

"Such things are usually decided by a council among the Cheyenne. I find it strange that such an important thing is left for only one person to decide." Daniel replied, and tugged at the piece of cloth around his neck. Min had called it a 'tie,' but to him it felt like a hangman's noose.

"I know but there is no one else but me to do it. I'll do as Luke suggested and run some adds in a couple of Atlanta's papers, maybe we'll get lucky." Min put Darlin' into gear and headed for home.

Two weeks later, Min sat at her desk looking over the thin pile of applications she'd received in response to her newspaper ads. Not many people had replied, considering the pay offered compared to large hospitals and private practices. She'd met five people so far, but none of them had impressed her much.

Min sighed as she looked over the next application on the pile. She pressed the intercom button. "Next, come in please."

A young woman entered the room with quick and purposeful steps. She was small and lithe with dark brown hair and eyes that were the same shade. She wore a simple skirt and blouse combination, and she smiled at Min with even white teeth. "Good morning! I'm Dr. Jackie Broadway." She offered Min her hand.

Min stood up and accepted her hand. "Min Duke, nice to meet you Doctor." She sat down and motioned to the leather chair in front of her desk. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." The young woman sat down in one fluid motion, settling her dark blue skirt over her legs, and once again Min was struck by how she moved, almost like a dancer or a gymnast. "I hope I'm not late. I was volunteering over at Capitol City Hospital, in the burn ward. They found themselves shorthanded today."

Min shook her head. "Oh no Doctor you're fine." She smiled as she looked over her application. "So you're from Atlanta?"

"Born and raised!" Dr. Broadway smiled. "The ink on my degree is barely dry, but I'm looking to open a practice in a small town like this. I don't mind working in hospitals from time to time, but they're so impersonal! I like to get to know the person I'm treating instead of pushing people through triage like some medical meat-grinder."

The comparison made Min laugh; she looked at the young woman and smiled to herself. In her mind she had just found the perfect replacement for Dr. Petticord. "Well Hazzard is pretty small, we all know each other."

"That sounds great to me, as long as the doctor's office is clean and you folks have a good place to dance!" Dr. Broadway laughed.

Min raised an eyebrow. "We do, a place right off Route 7 called The Boar's Nest; Saturday nights around here are the wildest nights of the week."

The young woman slapped her knee. "Then you're hired!" She grinned teasingly, and Min mentally tossed the other three applications in the trash.

"Why don't you come on in and meet our County Commissioner." She laughed, hoping that Cooter would like the woman as much as she did. There were several more questions to ask, but as far as Min was concerned, Hazzard had found its new doctor.

The county buildings in Hazzard closed at five p.m. everyday, so Min usually arrived home at twenty past five. More often than not, Daniel would be sitting out on the front porch waiting for her. This day was no different. As Min pulled up, she saw that he was sitting cross-legged in the glider, a large piece of brown material in his lap. Some brightly colored beads lay scattered on the small table beside him. When he heard the car door slam, he looked up with a smile. "Welcome home, Min."

"Hi." She smiled widely, he was a welcome sight and she was glad to see him. She climbed the steps and stood over him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Min touched his face, leaned over and kissed his lips gently, touching her forehead to his. "What are you doing?"

"I went hunting today while you were in town working with your talking papers, and I shot a fine doe! I am making a shirt and breeches from the skin, and the meat is in the freezing box."

"Oh good, I know how much you don't like the material we wear." Min sat down beside him and took off her heels; she rubbed her feet a little. She looked down at the black skirt and white silk shirt she wore. "I've got to get out of these fancy clothes." She leaned her head against his shoulder as she watched his fingers quickly bead. "Want to come help me?"

"Yes, but first I have a surprise for you." Daniel reached down next to him and picked up a small package wrapped in cloth which he handed to Min. "I had to guess at your size." He apologized, and Min gasped aloud as she unwrapped the cloth. Tucked inside were a pair of butter-soft doeskin moccasins. They were finely beaded with red and white beads across the toe and around the heel, and were fringed at each ankle.

Oh wow!" She bent down and slipped the moccasins on. They were a perfect fit and she wiggled her feet in them. "You guessed right." She stood up and walked back and forth in front of him. "Wow they feel nice!"

"I have noticed that when you come home at night you massage your feet as if they hurt. I thought perhaps you could wear  mo'kêhanôtse, the moccasins, when you are not at work. They will not only keep your feet warm, but comfortable as well."

Min smiled. "Believe me I will." She stretched out her hand to him. "Come on."

The young couple went into Min's room, which they now shared. Min went to the closet and grabbed a t- shirt and a pair of sweat pants while Daniel sat down on the big double bed. Min hesitated, and glanced down on the floor where Daniel had preferred to sleep since he had moved in with her. He had a mattress and several goose-down pillows, plus three soft deerskin blankets which he called 'furs.' Min had offered him the empty side of her bed several times, but he'd declined. Min sighed and began to unbuckle her chain-link silver belt.

"You know, that offer to take the other half of the bed is still open." She unbuckled her belt and unzipped her skirt. She let it slide down her legs and put her sweat pants on, pulling them over her blue silk panties.

"I understand." Daniel nodded, and glanced down at his bed. "It bothers you that I share your home and food, yet will not share your bed?"

Min unbuttoned her silk blouse and opened it, taking it off carefully. She was only in her white lace bra. "I know nothing will happen between us until the time is right. But I want to feel you close to me at night." There was also another reason that she wanted to tell him but decided not to at the last moment. She picked up her t-shirt and put it on.

Daniel stood and took Min into his arms. "Know this. I will love and protect you all of my days, for I think that is why The Great Spirit brought me here." He kissed her gently, his hands massaging her waist. "Also know that I hunger for you in the way that a man does for a woman. However . . ." Daniel paused and looked away. "We are not married, and I have never lain with a woman." His dark blue eyes suddenly filled with shame. "Little Horse took me to his furs, but I imagine it is not the same as laying with someone who cares for you."

Min touched her fingers to his chin and turned it to look at her. "Daniel, I want you to sleep with me at night because you make me feel safe. When you hold me I know nothing can harm me." She grinned. "Like right now." She leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I know that one day when the time has come we will give ourselves to each other and I can't wait for the day, sometimes the way you look at me..." Her face turned red and she looked down at the floor.

Daniel nodded and a blush heated his cheeks as well. "I think of it often." He touched his forehead to hers, a Cheyenne gesture of affection. "It is your own fault for looking so beautiful all the time." He released her and glanced out the window. "The sun will begin to set soon and Swift will be wanting his grain. Perhaps you can cook some of the meat I left and when I return, we will eat."

"Okay." She put her hand to his cheek. "Don't take too long outside, all right?"

"It will not take me long to pour the grain." He promised, and went outside. He crossed the yard and pulled open the barn door, feeling a touch of apprehension tickle the nape of his neck. He shook his head, knowing it was just the inborn fear that all plains Indians had of enclosed spaces. It had taken him many days to get used to working in the barn, and Swift only came to his stall to eat and sometimes to sleep when nighttime noises frightened him.

Daniel took the lid off of the grain bin, then frowned when the noise didn't bring Swift into the barn. He whistled for the little buckskin, and heard a nervous whinny at the entrance that led to the corral. Daniel rounded the corner and frowned at his horse. "Are you coming in to eat, or are you going to stand there?" He asked Swift in Cheyenne, and Swift stomped his right foreleg as if angry or nervous.

"What is it that has you so afraid?" Daniel smiled, and took another step. There are no wolves-" Daniel's words were cut off as something cold and hard pressed into the small of his bare back, and a voice spoke in his ear. "Don't turn around, and don't yell. If you do I swear to God I'll pull the trigger."

"I will not fight you. What is it you want from me?" Daniel asked softly, and the gun prodded him. "Turn around slowly."

The voice commanded and Daniel obeyed, only to be shocked to the core by what he saw. A young Indian was standing in front of him, his handsome face a mask of restrained pain. His blue cotton t-shirt was soaked with blood just below and to the right of the breastbone, making the young man hunch over slightly. He gripped a silver-plated pistol in his right hand. Unlike most Indians Daniel was used to seeing; this one wore white man's clothing. He was of medium build, lean and athletic-looking. Jet black hair hung down past his shoulders, and his eyes were darker than a moonless night.

He is not Cheyenne, Daniel thought, looking into those onyx colored orbs. The barrel of the pistol trained on him again, and Daniel froze. "You are hurt." He said softly, looking for a clan mark or some other clue as to the Indian's heritage.

The injured Indian could see the fear in his captive's eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you." He closed his eyes briefly, the darkness of unconsciousness starting to invade his mind. He gritted his teeth in pain. "Oh God..."

The clicking sound rang out, the armed Indian turned around and to his surprise saw a young woman with a rifle in her hands, it was pointing right at him. "Put your gun down and back away from him!"

"Min wait!" Daniel exclaimed, although he admired her bravery. "Do not fire, he is already wounded!" At his words the pistol clattered to the brick aisle of the barn, and the young Indian fell soon after. He lay spread eagled on his back, the wound on his chest oozing blood. Daniel knelt down next to him. "I think he has been shot."

Min lowered her rifle, uncocking it as she did so. She ran over to where Daniel was and crouched down next to the unconscious man. She pulled his shirt up and gasped when she saw the large hole.

"Oh my God..." She lifted her eyes to look at Daniel. "Can you bring him to the house? I'll call a doctor."

Daniel nodded, then cocked his head to the left slightly. "You knew I was in danger?"

Min nodded. "Of course I did, I could feel it." She straightened up. "Come on, he looks pretty bad, we better get him inside."

Daniel glanced back at Swift, who still stood in the doorway. "Swift knew too, I just failed to hear his warning." Daniel carefully lifted the unconscious man into his arms and followed Min into the house.

Doc Petticord's house was a great big white country house. It was a typical 5 bedroom farmhouse with an office, a few exam rooms and a supply room in the back of it. Jackie had got a very good deal on it and was repainting the outside of the farmhouse white when the phone starting ringing. She had only been in town for two weeks and was still getting used to country life compared to the hustle and bustle of the big city.

"Oh great timing." She said as she wiped her hands on the back of her raggedy jean shorts. She still had her brush in her white stained hands as she ran inside and answered the phone.

"Hello, Doc Broadway here, congratulations on being my first call ever."

"Dr. Broadway, this is Min Duke. We kind of have a . . . well, a situation over here at my farmhouse." The voice of the young woman sounding extremely rattled on the other end of the line. "Situation? All right, I'll wash up, grab my medical bag and be right over Min."

"I'm off of Route 5, Mill Pond Lane."

Jackie thought about where that was.  It was the main route that was straight out of Hazzard Square. "All right give me 10 minutes."

Back at the farmhouse, Min nodded grimly. "Bring lots of gauze." She replied, and hung up.

Daniel had the unconscious young man on the floor, partially wrapped in a blanket as he tried to stop the bleeding with a towel. "The bullet is still in his body, I think." He said to Min, and bathed the young man's sweaty forehead with a damp cloth.

"It probably is Daniel but there's nothing we can do about it. Jackie is coming, she'll help him." Min looked at the young man and shook her head. "I wonder what happened to him."

"Perhaps he robbed someone and was shot by a lawman." Daniel replied, although after a brief search they found no money or goods of any kind on the young Indian. All he had was his gun. He didn't even carry a wallet.

Min touched his face gently. "No, he hasn't robbed anyone." She looked at Daniel seriously. "But he may be in trouble." She got up and closed the front door and the curtains on the windows.

"He is not Cheyenne. His skin is too dark and his build too small." Daniel recalled how dark the young man's eyes had been. "He may be Lakota or Arapaho. He wears modern white man's clothing though, so I do not think he is an Indian from my father's time."

There was a knock on the door and Min peeked through the window. She saw it was Jackie and she opened the door and stepped back. "In here Jackie."

"It's not your husband, is it?" Jackie asked in a worried tone, thinking of the incredibly tall blond haired man whom she sometimes saw in town.

"No it's not and he's not my husband but that's not important right now." Min led the doctor into the living room to the still form lying on the floor. "This is why I called you."

"Oh . . . sorry." Jackie replied, an embarrassed blush staining her cheeks. She'd apparently assumed the wrong thing about the man Min lived with. Those thoughts flew out of her head when she saw the young man laying on the floor, bleeding from what at first glance looked like a bullet wound. "Oh my God! What happened to him?"

Min knelt down beside the doctor, leaning back on her haunches. "He was with Daniel out near the barn holding a gun on him and bleeding." She looked at Daniel. "Right Love?"

Daniel nodded and gave Min a rather surprised but warm look. "Yes, but he also said he needed my help. I think perhaps he is running from whoever it is that wounded him."

Min realized what she said and touched her hand to her mouth briefly. It was just something that slipped out by complete and total accident but nevertheless she liked the way it sounded. She watched the doctor lift the heavily soaked shirt of the injured man and she swallowed hard. "Is there anything you need for us to do Jackie?"

"Yes. I'll need some hot water and a few more clean cloths. I can remove the bullet, I have antiseptic and Novocain in my bag." The doctor reached for her black bag and rummaged through it carefully, removing the things she needed: a large bottle of antiseptic, a small glass bottle of Novocain and a needle. Daniel watched his eyes wide.

Min nodded as she got up from the floor. She went into the kitchen and got a large basin. She set it down beside the sink on the counter as she turned the hot water faucet and waited for it to get warm. "Love can you get the dust rags from the basement? They're right next to the washer in that red basket." Min called over her shoulder.

Daniel got to his feet and left the room, returning in a few moments with the rags. He set them down next to Jackie. "Will you really take the bullet out of him here?"

Jackie nodded as she took the bottle of antiseptic and poured it into the wound. She pressed a couple of the rags into it. "I have no choice." She lifted her eyes and looked at him. "By the way, I'm Jackie Broadway. I can't shake your hand right now because it's inside this guy's gut but I'm pleased to meet you."

"I am happy to meet you too." Daniel replied, and peered at the needle. "What is that?"

Jackie picked up the vial of Novocain and stuck the needle into it. "It's called a syringe Sweets." She pulled back the plunger filling it with the clear liquid.

"Will it hurt him?" Daniel asked, fascinated as the needle filled with fluid.

"He's not feeling a whole lot right now Doll, this will make him feel even less than that." She cleaned off the wounded area and looked at the blond man. "If you have a weak stomach I suggest you look away."

Daniel shook his head. "I have hunted many animals and have seen the insides." He craned his neck to look at the wound. "Do you think he will live?"

"I'm sure as hell going to give it my best." She injected the liquid in several places around the wound. "Your name is Daniel... right?"

"Yes! Forgive me; I have forgotten to tell you my name. I am called Daniel Painted Horse." He handed her another clean rag. "From whom did you learn your medicine?"

"From a wonderful medical school in Atlanta." Jackie got a black kit out of her bag and unzipped it. It had every kind of surgical tool one could imagine. She picked up a pair of bulldogs and began her search for the bullet.

"Skew-el?" Daniel questioned, a puzzled look on his face, and Min came in quickly from the other room.

Min brought the basin in and set it down beside the doctor. She reached down and gently laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I'll explain it to you later." She said to him in Cheyenne.

Jackie was too involved in her work to realize that Min hadn't spoken in English. She poked and prodded at the wound, and after ten minutes pulled out the lead slug and dropped it on a towel beside her. "Ta-da!" She exclaimed proudly.

Min wrinkled her nose as she looked at the deformed chunk of bloody metal. "Is he going to make it Jackie?"

"It's hard to say. If we can keep the wound from getting infected and keep him cool and rested, I'd say he's got a good chance. He's young and he looks healthy."

"We can put him in one of the other spare rooms." Min cleared her throat. "Since we don't know what the story is with him Jackie I suggest you not tell anyone he's here."

Jackie glared at the other woman briefly. "One, I'm no snitch. Two, this comes under patient confidentiality. You don't need to worry about it." She put her medical tools back in the small black bag.

Min nodded. "Okay, I'm sorry." She sighed and flipped her pony tail over her shoulder. "Any other instructions for us concerning your patient?"

"I'll come every six hours or so and change the dressing. If he comes to, call me. Don't give him anything until you talk to me, all right?" She looked down at the young man and smiled a little. "Pretty good looking for an outlaw, if that's what he is."

"I'm willing to bet that's exactly what he is." Min walked the doctor to the door. "Thanks for doing this Jackie, that guy's going to owe you his life."

"Oh I don't think the bill's going to be that high." Jackie teased, and glanced over Min's shoulder where Daniel was kneeling next to the young man. "Again, I'm sorry about what I said. I shouldn't have assumed Daniel was your husband, it was rude of me."

Min shrugged her shoulders and sighed as she glanced at Daniel. "Don't worry about it, he will be eventually."

Jackie smiled knowingly. "I wouldn't blame you for hanging onto him!" She laughed, then grew sober. "Call me the minute my patient comes around. If he is in trouble with the law, I don't want him trying to run off and make his wound worse." She sighed. "I wonder if the AMA would take away my license for treating an outlaw." Jackie shrugged a little. "Probably not . . . we treat lawyers, after all!" With that, the young woman grinned and shut the door.

Min and Daniel had moved the unconscious man to Daniel's old room and carefully placed him in the twin bed.  Min had removed his bloody clothes and cleaned him up as best she could while Daniel had gone back outside to tend to Swift. Min was gently dabbing the Indian man's blood spattered face with a washcloth when he grabbed her by the wrist. Min gasped loudly, he had been so still only a split second earlier.

His eyes opened a second later and Min was amazed by their color. They were so dark that it was hard to tell where iris ended and pupil began. It gave him an intense, focused air, emphasized by his high cheekbones. The man gazed up at her. "Where am I?" He asked in a weak, hoarse tone.

"You're in my house, don't worry you're safe here from whoever it was who shot you." Min swallowed hard, his grip firm on her arm.

"I'm not worried about being safe; I'm worried about being seen!" The young man gasped, and tried to sit up. "I have to get out of here!"

Min put her hand on his shoulder and pressed down gently. "No one's seen you except a doctor and she won't tell anyone you're here. You need to lie still; you're weak and need time to heal."

"Time is something I usually don't have a lot of." The man replied, and tried to sit up again. He cried out in pain as his bullet wound gave a sharp pull to remind him it was there, and he lay back again with a deep scowl. "Look miss, I appreciate your kindness, but . . . " He paused for breath, trying to regain his strength. " . . . but really, I can't stay here."

"You are going to stay here and I don't want to hear anymore about it! I don't care if I have to lash you to this bed!"

A smile played at the corners of the man's mouth despite his pain. "If that's what turns you on, Honey, but maybe we should wait until I feel well enough to at least enjoy it!"

Min raised an eyebrow. "That blond man you pointed your water gun at is the man I love. I don't need you to play house with."

"If you're the doctor you were talking about before, you have a terrible bedside manner." The man said, then looked alarmed. "My gun!" He looked up at her angrily. "Where is it? Give it to me!"

"Jackie took care of you, and she is a very good doctor." Min lifted up her shirt and showed him the gun. It was tucked into the waistband of her shorts. "Your water pistol is right here, and that's where it's going to stay until later."

"You've got no right to keep it from me, it's mine!" The stranger snapped, and the angry flash in his ebony eyes made Min glad she wasn't completely alone with him. He was obviously no one to fool with when he was at his full strength.

Min frowned at the injured man. "I'm going to keep it until your better and that's the end of it." She leaned back on her haunches. "Now, don't you think its time you stopped griping at me and told me what your name is?"

"If I tell you, you'll tell the cops. That is if you haven't called them already." The man replied, wiping the sweat from his face with one shaky hand.

"No one has called the cops, kola." Daniel broke in as he walked into the room, and the young man's eyes widened at the sound of the Sioux word for 'friend.'

"You . . . you know I'm Lakota?" He asked cautiously, and Daniel smiled as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "I was not sure, until I heard you speak."

"He's right we haven't called the cops and we're not going to." Min dunked her cloth in the basin of water and dabbed his forehead gently. "As I said before, you're safe here." She gave him a smile. "My name is Min Duke. This is Daniel Painted Horse." Her hand gently touched Daniel's leg.

The young man looked up at Daniel anxiously. "An Indian name. What tribe are you from?" He asked, noting Daniel's long golden hair and dark blue eyes. The bigger man only looked patient, as if he'd seen that look before. "My father was a Cheyenne chief, but my mother was white. My woman speaks the truth, my Lakota brother. You are safe here."

Min lifted her head proudly, Daniel had called her his woman and for the first time she truly felt like she was. Her focus returned to the injured men. "We're going to call the doctor now to come back and check on you. She's a friend you can trust."

"I need my gun, and I need to get out of here. I appreciate you helping me, but . . . I need to be gone."

"What is your name, Lakota?" Daniel asked patiently, and the young man sighed. "You can call me Nevada, if you want."

The injured man suddenly grew frustrated. "You don't understand! I can't trust anyone!" Nevada argued, and Daniel pulled a red clay pipe from the beaded parafleche on his belt. He filled it with a special kind of tobacco that he made himself, and lit it. The young Indian watched, amazed. He hadn't seen anyone smoke a pipe like that since he had left the Pine Hills Reservation in South Dakota over seven years ago. The big Cheyenne took a puff, and looked Nevada over carefully but without judgment. "Tell us what happened, Nevada. Tell us who shot you and why, and perhaps we can help."

Min nodded as she touched his hand. "Please, we want to help you."

"If I tell you, I'd be risking my life and the life of other people." Nevada replied quietly.

"We're already involved Nevada, simply because you needed our help. You owe us the truth."

"I realize that you both probably saved my life, but what I'm involved in is bigger than all three of us." The young Lakota sighed, and looked up at Daniel. "You seem more Cheyenne than white . . . " He cut a glance at Min. "Maybe you'd understand a little easier."

"Tell us as much as you can, Nevada, and we will help in any way we can." Daniel promised, and put away his pipe. Min opened her mouth to say something but Daniel silenced her with a gesture. After a moment, Nevada began to speak. "The reason I got shot is because I'm a wanted man. I'm wanted in at least fifteen states, maybe more."

Min glanced at Daniel, asking him if it was okay for her to ask a question. He gave her a slight nod of his head. "Why are you wanted Nevada?"

"I'm an outlaw." Nevada replied bluntly, looking up at Min. When he saw no fear in her eyes, it gave him the courage to press on. "I haven't robbed anyone or anything . . . and I try not to hurt people if I can help it."

"Then what is it that has the law after you, kola?" Daniel asked, and Nevada's knuckles turned white as they gripped the bed sheet.

"The law. The law that consists of corrupt men and women who take pleasure in robbing and taking advantage of innocent people!" He said angrily, his dark eyes flashing.

It all suddenly became clear to Min as she reached out and touched Nevada's hand, she nodded slowly. "Oh...I get it. You help fugitives escape to either Canada or Mexico, right? You help them make new lives?"

Nevada looked up at her sharply. "They're not fugitives! They're innocent men and Indian women, sometimes whole families." He replied, and pulled on a lock of his long black hair nervously. "You have to understand, I don't help people who are truly guilty or have broken the law of their own will." 

Min nodded. "I'm sorry Nevada, I meant no harm." Her dark eyes were looking into his. "Tell us who shot you."

"I was helping a young Couer'delane Indian who's been hiding from the law for the last few months." Nevada said, twisting the bed sheet between his dark hands. "We were traveling through this area, working our way west when the Georgia State Police caught up with us."

"And what happened to the other Indian? Is he hurt too?"

"That's why I have to get out of here. We were trying to lose ourselves in some swampland near here when the cops shot me. I managed to hide myself, but I made Joseph . . . that's the man I was traveling with . . . go on ahead. The cops searched for nearly an hour, and after they left I managed to crawl out of the rotted log I'd been hiding in. I knew I needed a doctor, and that's when I saw your house. So I hid out in the barn until someone came along that could help me."

"So Joseph is lost in the Euchie Swamp...." The young woman thought of something. "I don't know my way around that area; there are only two that I know of that do."

"If the cops catch Joseph, they'll kill him." Nevada said anxiously, his voice becoming soft and hoarse as he grew tired again.

Min heard the fatigue in his voice. She pulled the covers higher up on the wounded man's chest. "You need to get some rest Nevada, and don't worry about your friend. I have an idea on how we can get to him."

"We have to find him. I meant what I said . . . if they find him first, they'll kill him." Nevada looked up at Daniel, who looked thoughtful and sympathetic. "He might be a fugitive, but he's not a criminal. He did what a lot of men would have done, under the circumstances." Nevada's eyes began to close. "Please, help him if you can." Finally the young man's eyelids closed and he slept again. Daniel sighed and looked over at Min. "I believe him, Min. He is no criminal."

"I know he's not." She glanced at Nevada briefly. "Let's let him sleep. I have to use the phone anyways."

Daniel got to his feet and slipped an affectionate arm around Min's waist as they left the room. "You said you did not know the swamps, but you know two people who do?"

Min nodded as she smiled at Daniel. "You may know them Love, one is blond, the other has dark hair."

"Bo and Luke." Daniel replied with his own nod, and glanced over his shoulder at the closed bedroom door. "I hope they can help . . . I think that our new friend feels responsible for what has happened."

Bo Duke stood in the doorway of the spare bedroom, his hands in his pockets. After a few moments, he gave a long, drawn out sigh and turned to his sister. "Min, how many more times am I going to come over here and find a half-naked Indian man in the house?"

Min narrowed her eyes at her brother. "Bo this is serious! You and Luke know that swamp land like the back of your hands. You two used to tell me stories about how you used that swamp to hide from Revenuers."

"It saved our sorry hides more than once." Luke said from the kitchen as he poured himself a glass of Min's homemade lemonade.

"If you had let me drive more often, we wouldn't have had to hide out there so much!" Bo laughed, then held his hands up in a gesture of surrender as Min glared at him again. "Okay, okay. We'll help you find this guy. I just hope he hasn't run into any alligators or copperheads. That dang swamp can kill you in a dozen different ways if you aren't careful."

Min sighed and ran her hand over her face as she looked down at her sleeping patient. "I know that Bo believe me I do, but Daniel and I both promised Nevada we would help."

"Nevada? What kind of name is that?" Bo frowned as he went into the kitchen to help himself to a glass of lemonade. The day had come off extremely hot and humid.

"The kind you make up if you don't want anyone to know who you really are." Luke replied, and raised an eyebrow as Daniel took down a large cookie jar from the top of the fridge and pulled out not a cookie, but a large piece of jerked meat.

Min closed the bedroom door and walked her brother into the kitchen. "It doesn't matter what his name is, his injury is real enough and so is his story. Are you both going to help or not?"

"I said we would." Bo replied in between sips of lemonade, and looked up at Daniel. The young man was wearing what looked like deerskin leggings and moccasins, a clout to cover his privates, and nothing else. A hawk feather dangled from a single braided lock of hair on the right side of his face while the rest of the long blond locks flowed free. Bo thought that Daniel looked positively savage, and admired him for it. "Course, we can't do it alone, we're going to need all the help we can get."

Min stood behind Daniel and put her hands on his shoulders. "If you need us to help we'll be glad too."

Luke got up and opened one of the kitchen drawers. "I know Uncle Jesse kept some old maps in here somewhere. Aha! Here they are." He pulled out two yellowed and creased maps from the drawer and spread them out on the table. "The swamp covers about ten miles in all directions. If your friend says they entered it here-" Luke pointed to a spot on the map, "then that would have put them about a half a mile east of Swamphill Road."

"But isn't the deepest most dangerous part of the swamp out there? With the quick sand traps and the wall to wall alligators?"

Bo nodded a little. "Yeah. Our only hope is that your friend's partner found a safe place to hole up until someone comes looking for him."

Min stepped around Daniel and leaned over the table. "So the four of us are going to cover this east section of swamp?"

"It's a start, anyway." Bo shrugged, and watched Daniel tear into another hunk of jerked meat. He was a little afraid of his sister's new man, but admired him as well. He had certainly proved his love and devotion to Min through his actions if not words, for the big half-breed spoke very little when around other people. However, Bo couldn't miss the look of love in Min's eyes when she looked at Daniel, and Bo smiled to himself when he made a silent bet that they'd be married by the spring.

Min glanced at Luke. "When would be the best time to do this? First light?"

"I'm sure not going into that swamp after nightfall!" Luke exclaimed, and glanced out the window at the rapidly setting sun. "If you don't mind, me and Bo will camp out in the living room, and we'll leave early tomorrow."

"Of course I don't mind." Min straightened up and stood beside Daniel. "But you don't have to sleep on the floor; your old bedroom is upstairs."

"That's okay. We'll just camp out in our sleeping bags." Luke replied, and Bo nodded his agreement. The worst of their grieving over Jesse's death had passed, but both men still felt strange about being back in the farmhouse. Sleeping in their old room would dig up too many old ghosts, many of which neither of them were ready to face. There was an awkward pause, then Min smiled as she got the message.

"All right, Daniel and I will go upstairs and bring you some pillows and a few blankets in case you get cold."

"I get the couch." Bo laughed, and Luke punched him in the arm. "The heck you do!"

Min rolled her eyes and left the men to their good natured arguing as she motioned for Daniel to follow her. As they climbed the stairs and Min went to the big linen closet in the corner, she heard Daniel sigh.

"Something on your mind Love?" Min pulled out two big fluffy pillows and was rummaging through a thick pile of handmade quilts.

Daniel's big hands toyed with the fringe on his leggings as he looked away from her. "Your brother. He stares at me sometimes as if I was some strange breed of animal he has never seen before."

Min stopped searching and turned around to face Daniel. "No, that's not it at all Love." She touched his chin and turned it to so she could see his face. "He admires you for having the courage and strength to be yourself."

"I think sometimes he worries that you will suffer at the hands of other people's cruelty because we are together." Daniel replied, and pushed his thick blond hair back. "I am not like the other people in this town, after all . . . and I can see there were many other men who desired you."

Min smiled as she put her hand on his cheek and stroked it gently. "But I don't want them." She leaned close to him. "You're the one I want." Min brushed her lips against his gently.

A blush heated Daniel's cheeks. He still wasn't used to this thing that Min called a kiss. "I want you too, Min, but I also want your family to accept me." His arms slipped around her waist and he held her close. "My father's people turned their backs on me; I could not bear it if your people did the same."

"No one's going to turn their backs on either one of us Daniel." Min pulled back from their hug. "Bo and Luke have accepted the fact that we are together. Even my cousin Daisy has and she's never even seen you. The only thing that matters to them is that I'm happy and with a man that treats me well. They don't care if you are Cheyenne, half Cheyenne or Pawnee." She grinned a little. "Of course, they do think you have a strange way of doing things but even that's not a big deal because they can see how we feel about each other."

"I am how The Great Spirit made me." Daniel sighed, then leaned his head forward and kissed Min gently. He suspected he wasn't very good at it yet, but he did enjoy the practice. Min's lips were sweeter than wild strawberries.

The young woman sighed; Daniel's kiss had left her head spinning. "You drive me crazy when you do that." She leaned her head against his chest as she hugged him once again.

"You flatter me." Daniel scolded her gently, touching her hair.

"I'm only telling the truth, everything you do drives me crazy." She leaned back and kissed him again. "And you've gotten a lot better at kissing." Min touched her forehead to his. "I better go take these pillows and blankets to Bo and Luke."

"And perhaps you can explain to your cousin why we keep meat in the cookie jar instead of cookies." Daniel smiled, remembering the curious expression on the man's face earlier.

Min gathered up the pillows and pulled two quilts out of the shelf. "I'll be sure and do that." She gave Daniel a wink as she went back down the stairs.

Daylight was nothing more than a pinkish-orange smear on the horizon when Dr. Broadway pulled up in front of the Duke farm. Dusk was fading into night, and the porch light in front of the charming old house was already on. She climbed the stairs and knocked on the screen door.

"Min? Daniel? It's Jackie!" She set her black bag down leaned against the screen door. She cupped her hands to both sides of her face. A figure was suddenly standing in front of her and the young woman gasped. It was a tall blond haired man in a white t-shirt. "Uhh... hi. Is Min or Daniel home?"

"They both are, yeah." Bo opened the screen door and motioned the woman inside. "C'mon in before the skeeters get you." He shut the door and locked it with the hook and eye combination Luke had put in years ago. "I'm Bo Duke, Min's brother. This here's Luke, he's my cousin, and Min's too." Bo motioned to the dark haired man sitting at the kitchen table.

Jackie smiled at both of them. "I'm Jackie Broadway; I'm the new leech peddler in town." She made an old doctor's joke that neither man seemed to get. "I'm the new Saw Bones...Rib Cracker... doctor?"

"Right." Bo smiled, and shook her hand. She shook with Luke as well, and craned her neck to look into the living room. Bo suddenly recalled that she'd come to see Min, and turned towards the hallway. "Hold on just a sec, Doc." He said, and took a deep breath. "Hey, Min! There's a doctor here to see you!" He bellowed, making Luke and Jackie wince.

Jackie narrowed her eyes and looked at Luke. "Is he always this loud?"

"Louder. Maybe I'll come see you soon, have my hearing checked." Luke replied mildly, and turned a page of the evening paper.

Jackie laughed and shook her head. "Uhh Bo, save your vocal cords, I think I might know where Min and Daniel are."

"Oh, well . . . help yourself, then." Bo smiled, gesturing to the hallway. As she left, Bo sat back down at the table with his cousin. "She's cute." He observed.

Luke raised an eyebrow as he folded up his newspaper. "Cuter than your girlfriend?"

Bo chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows up and down in a suggestive manner. "Just because I'm seeing her doesn't mean I don't see anything else." He teased.

The eldest Duke cousin shook his head. "Bo, if you even think about messing around on Michelle I can guarantee that you'll be seeing Jackie professionally if she finds out."

Bo threw his head back and whooped laughter. "You're probably right about that, cousin! Besides, I wouldn't think of going behind Michelle's back. Not after what she did for me." He smiled, and glanced down the hall. "She looks like city folk, though. I wonder what she's doing in Hazzard."

Jackie found Min and Daniel in the guest room keeping a vigil over her patient. She set her bag down and sat on the edge of the bed, touching Nevada's face gently. "Damn it." She looked at both of them. "He's got a fever."

"I brewed some willow-bark tea, which helps with a fever, but he could not keep it down." Daniel explained as he bathed Nevada's forehead with a cool wet cloth.

"I'm going to give him a big dose of penicillin, that might help him fight." Jackie reached down and picked up her bag. She brought out a small vial and an alcohol pad. She turned his arm over and wiped the pad against it. She was about to give him the injection when a pair of coal black eyes focused on her.

"Joseph." The young Lakota mumbled, his eyes never leaving Jackie's. "You have to find Joseph."

Jackie smiled; his dark eyes were large and deep. He had long eyelashes that made them all the more beautiful. "We'll find him, don't worry yourself about it Sweets." She showed him the injection. "This will make you feel better, I promise."

Nevada's fever-glazed eyes roved around the room until they found Daniel. Making sure he had the young Cheyenne's attention, the other Indian spoke a few words in his native tongue, his tone urgent. Daniel's dark blue eyes widened, then his mouth settled into a grim line as he nodded a little and replied in kind. Nevada seemed to relax then, and closed his eyes. "Do what you have to do, Doc." He mumbled.

Jackie heard the exchange and raised an eyebrow. She injected the penicillin into Nevada's arm. "There, you should start to feel better soon." She smiled at him and touched his forehead. "What's your name?"

"Nevada." The young man mumbled after a moment's hesitation, as if he'd had to think about it.

"I'm Jackie. I want you to get plenty of rest and relax okay? You're in no shape to leave this bed just yet."

"We will find someone to stay with him while we find his friend." Daniel interjected, and got to his feet. "Min, I would have words with you alone." He said, and left the room without waiting to see if she'd follow.

Min nodded and followed Daniel out into the hall. "Is something wrong?"

"Aee, yes. I have just made a vow to our friend in there." Daniel went into the room they shared and Min watched in a mixture of despair and curiosity as he began to pack some belongings into a blanket. His bow, a quiver of arrows, some venison jerky, a canteen.

"Daniel, what kind of vow did you just give him?" She watched him pack, a sinking feeling beginning to form in the pit of her stomach.

"I made the vow that I would leave tonight and begin the search alone. You, Bo and Luke will join me in the morning." Daniel rolled up the blanket, tied it off with a rawhide string, and pulled on his new buckskin shirt.

Min shook her head; she crossed the room and touched Daniel's shoulder, turning him towards her. "Daniel you don't know what that swamp is like! It's dangerous and you don't even know where to look. Bo and Luke are the only ones that can lead us in and out of that swamp safely."

"I understand that you are frightened, Min. I am not keen to travel after dark either, no Cheyenne would be. You must understand, though, that I would not be doing this under normal circumstances." He touched foreheads with her, then kissed her gently. "I will be all right."

The young woman sighed as she hugged Daniel around the waist. "I don't want you to do this but I know you made a vow and you have to honor it."

"I am glad you understand." He replied, and hugged her back. He looked down at her for a long, long moment, then gave her a small smile. "A woman like you would make a man a fine wife." He said softly, then turned and was gone.

"I want that man to be you..." She whispered to herself as she went back into the spare room. Jackie was dabbing Nevada's forehead with a damp cloth. "Jackie will you stay here with him while we find his friend?"

"Well he can't stay here alone, that's for sure." She glanced over Min's shoulder. "Where did Daniel run off to?"

Min sat down on the floor near her friend. "He's starting the search for Joseph, in the morning we'll catch up to him." She glanced at the sleeping face of the injured Lakota. "He's very handsome."

"Yes, he sure is." Jackie smiled, then seemed to realize what Min had said. "You mean Daniel went into that swamp alone? At night?" She gasped.

"He did what?" Bo asked from the doorway, then stepped inside. "Min, why didn't you stop him?"

"I had no choice!" She got on her feet and took him out of the room, closing the door behind her. "He promised Nevada he would, it's very important that we find him."

"Well of course it's important, but it's not going to help if he gets lost or hurt!" Bo argued, and sighed heavily. "That big, dumb Indian! If he gets himself in trouble there's going to be no one around to help him out of it! I can't believe he left without telling me or Luke!"

Min scowled, her lips pressing so hard together they disappeared. "Don't talk about Daniel that way! He's not dumb!"

"He is if he thinks he can just go waltzing into that swamp on his own!" Bo shot back, then folded his arms across his chest.  "Look, I just don't want anything to happen to him. I know what it would do to you if he got hurt, or worse."

Min lifted her head a little, her face serious. "So do I, but I have to trust him and believe him when he says he's going to be okay. He may not know his way around the swamp but he's cautious and quiet, those two things may be what keeps him out of trouble."

"I hope you're right." Bo replied, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, we should both get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be one hell of a long day."

The next morning, Min, Bo and Luke gathered their camping gear and loaded up the General. After getting assurances from Jackie that Nevada would most likely survive and begin to heal, the three young people headed out to Swamphill Road, the only road in Hazzard that dead-ended at the northern end of the Euchie Swamp. As they neared the dead end, Min looked around for any signs of Daniel. All she saw was stagnant, algae covered water and thick swampy foliage.

"Nice, in that alligator kind of way. I'm not surprised some people never make it out of here alive."

"I almost didn't." Bo replied, touching his chest where his shirt hid an inch-long scar that had resulted in a tussle with an alligator a few years before. Luke laughed a little. "Well no one told you to go diving in after that girl, you know."

"I suppose you'd have let her get eaten!" Bo replied, and Luke grinned at Min. "And they say chivalry is dead."

Min shrugged. "Well it might be if it involves hungry alligators."

"End of the road." Luke sighed, and turned off the General's engine. Bo pulled himself out of the car and began to unstrap the canoe they'd brought. Luke tossed their backpacks into it once it was at the water's edge, and looked around uneasily. "This place gives me the willies." He admitted, then furrowed his brow in curiosity. "Hey, what's this?" He walked over to a thick swamp maple and examined a strange looking symbol carved into its bark.

Min stood beside her cousin and touched the tree. A smile bloomed on her face. "Joseph did it; he's leaving a trail for us to track him."

"What's it say?" Bo asked, coming up to look at the symbol. It was two horizontal lines side by side, each with a half-circle on top. Next to those was an arrow pointing upwards, and next to that, a stick figure of a man with his arms raised.

Min recognized the stick figure, and pointed to it. "I know this one; I've seen Daniel make it. It means prayer."

"What about the others?" Luke asked.

"I think those means sunrise or sunset." Min said unsurely, then looked at the arrow. Then she smiled. "Yes! The upwards pointing arrow means sunrise! This is a message for Nevada!" She looked at both her brother and cousin. "It means that Joseph plans to travel east for the next two days! Indians face east whenever they pray at sunrise!"

"It's four days travel out of the swamp heading east." Bo put in.

Min nodded. "Right, so let's not waste any more time." She got into the canoe, grateful for her jeans and jean jacket. The swamp was damp and full of mosquitoes.

Bo and Luke rowed the canoe out about two miles, looking for any sign of Daniel or Joseph. Nevada had given them all a description of the young man, and what he'd been wearing the night he'd vanished. Min and the boys looked to the left and right, but they saw no signs of human life. Bo uncapped his canteen and took a sip of water. "There's not a whole lot of land out here. Maybe Joseph made it out already." He said, and Luke shook his head. "It's only been a few days, cousin, and it's four or five days travel at the most out of this swamp."

Min gasped as she watched an alligator swim close to the boat. "Uh....this canoe is sturdy right?" The alligator was getting closer, only its eyes above the murky water.

"Don't worry, Min. It won't attack the boat. It's just curious." Luke assured his cousin, then his heart seemed to pause in his chest when he saw something in the mud at the water's sludgy edge. He rowed towards it, and glanced at Bo in despair. "Give me your oar, cousin." He said quietly, and Bo obeyed. Luke reached out, and picked up the mud-covered moccasin with the narrow end of the oar. It had been partially covered in the mud, and there were drag marks in the deep muck at the water's edge.

"Oh my God..." Min's heart slammed into her ribs. The first thing that popped into her mind was that Daniel had gotten dragged into the water by an alligator.

"That's Daniel's, isn't it." Bo breathed, and Min nodded a little. Bo swallowed hard and wiped his mouth with the back of his right hand.

"He said he'd be careful..." Min put her other hand to her stomach, she had this image of the man she loved becoming alligator food and it only upset her more.

"I'm sure he's okay." Bo said quickly, and patted her shoulder. "I've seen the knife he carries, and he knows how to use it."

"I bet he's fine, Min." Luke put in, and docked the canoe at some dry land. He and Bo pulled the boat out of the water and looked around. The foliage here was so thick it could have hidden an elephant, but there was also a small clearing. "Let's camp here for a bit and have some lunch."

Min climbed out of the canoe. "Go ahead; my appetite seems to have disappeared." She walked around the area they were in. She was hoping and praying that Bo and Luke were right about Daniel.

"Min, stay close." Bo scolded as he took a sandwich from his backpack.

"I'm right here Bo." She turned around and looked at the mud covered moccasin in the canoe. She wanted to touch it and find out what happened to Daniel but at the same time it terrified her. If he truly had been eaten by an alligator the last thing in the world she wanted was to watch it.

"He'll be fine, Min." Bo said softly, and reached up to take her hand as she stepped closer to him. He tugged her down to sit beside him and offered her his canteen.

Min shook her head. "No thanks." She looked down at the ground; she picked up a twig and traced it in the dirt.

"You have to at least drink some water." Bo insisted, and put the canteen into her hands.

Min reluctantly had a sip of water and passed the canteen back to her brother. "Are you happy now?"

"Yeah." Bo smiled, and squeezed her hand briefly before setting the canteen aside. He could see what she was thinking about Daniel, and prayed that she was wrong.

Three days passed. Bo, Luke and Min covered mile after mile each day without any sign of Daniel or Joseph. It was hard for them not to think the worst, but on the third night as a storm broke overhead and Luke set up tents in the pouring rain, he knew it was time to face facts. Once their tent was up, Luke pulled Bo inside and zipped the flap shut.

"What?" Bo asked, rain dripping from his loose bright blond curls, and Luke sighed. "We have to tell her the truth, cousin. It's been three days without a sign, we're running out of food and water, and the weather is getting bad."

"She won't leave without Daniel." Bo stated simply, then shrugged when he saw frustration on Luke's face. "You wanted to talk truth, Luke, and that's the truth! I know my sister, and she won't leave without him."

"Bo . . . we might never find him. People vanish out here, you know that. How many times have we heard stories like that from Uncle Jesse or our friends? We done our best, but we have to get out ourselves before we run out of good water."

"I know. But if we leave, we leave alone. Min won't go until she finds out about Daniel." Bo said, and unzipped the tent flap. He walked out into the downpour, and called to Min through her closed tent flap. "Min, can you let me in?"

The zipper on her blue tent was opened and the flaps parted. "Come in before you drown."

Bo stepped inside and shook himself off the best he could before looking down at his sister. She looked small, yet somehow determined. "Look . . . I know you're no fool, so I'm not going to treat you like one. The fact is, we're nearly out of food, and real low on good water. Luke says we have to get into Hatchapee on the other side of the swamp. I know you don't want to give up on Daniel, Min, but we're gonna die out here ourselves if we run out of water."

Min lifted her head and looked at her brother. "He's out here somewhere. I don't want to leave him Bo." She sighed heavily, wiping her hand across her eyes. Her heart felt very heavy as the tears started to well up in her eyes.

"I know, I know you don't, but maybe we can get help over in Hatchapee. It wouldn't take long to get there, maybe another half of a day. Then after we get some supplies, I'll come out with you on my own if Luke won't. I promise, Min." Bo said urgently, taking her hand.

"Another half a day? If he's hurt he might not make it that long." She wiped her eyes. "You and Luke go ahead and leave, I'm staying."

"You can't stay on your own!" Bo argued, then sighed as he realized that it would be easier to argue with a brick wall. He ran a hand through his hair and opened the tent flap. "Well . . . I'll see what Luke has to say. Just stay put until I come back!" Bo said, and went back outside.

Minutes seemed like hours to Min as she sat in that tent, contemplating the dozens of ways that Daniel and Joseph could be hurt or killed by the swamp. Alligators, snakes, quicksand, floods, bottomless mud pits. Finally, she could take no more and stood up. She unzipped the tent flap, and stepped outside. The rain had slackened to an almost pleasant drizzle, and she looked up at the sky to see several bright stars shining through a patch in the clouds. She smiled a little and wiped tears from her eyes, taking it as some kind of omen. A moment later her omen of good fortune turned sour as a big hand clamped over her mouth and a razor sharp blade pressed into the tender skin of her throat.

"Do not move!" A voice hissed in her ear, and Min's legs nearly went out from under her as she realized that the voice belonged to the man she loved.

Min nodded, her heart pounding hard from the sudden appearance of Daniel. She reached up and touched his hand, pulling it down. "Daniel, it's me. It's okay."

"Min!" Daniel turned her around almost harshly, and her eyes widened when she saw his face. He was almost invisible in the darkness, his face and hair smeared with dried mud. "Great Spirit, I did not know it was you! I thought these tents belonged to some lawmen who had tracked us down!" He pulled her close and held her. "How I have missed you."

Min put her arms around Daniel and hugged him; she closed her eyes, an overwhelming sense of relief flowing through her. "I've missed you too." She pulled back and looked him over. "Are you okay? We found your moccasin."

"If things had gotten any worse, you would have found my foot along with it." Daniel said with a touch of humor, and motioned to his left leg. It was also smeared with mud, but there was a blood-darkened bandage wrapped around his ankle and lower leg.

"Oh my God!" She crouched down and looked at his leg. She unwrapped part of the bandage and saw teeth marks. "Come inside my tent, I have a small first aid kit."

Daniel limped along behind Min as they went into the tent. "I am not sure if I ever told you, but no Cheyenne swims well. Most of us fear the water, and death by it is the worst possible thing for any Indian." He looked down at his ankle. "I was crossing a log when a large green lizard lunged out of the water and knocked me over. I made it to land, but the thing grabbed my foot and tried to drag me under water. I suppose it meant to eat me."

Min got out her first-aid kit and opened it. She wrinkled her nose as she peeled off the blood and mud soaked bandage. "It did mean to eat you." She picked up a bottle of peroxide and looked at Daniel. "This might burn."

Daniel assumed a stoic expression. "I have been hurt before." He stated, then smiled at her. "I managed to turn on my back and draw my knife before the thing dragged me back into the water. It's hide was tough, but I buried my blade in it's brain. All it took was my moccasin."

Min poured the peroxide over the small cuts made by the alligator's teeth. The deeper ones were around his ankle. There were smaller ones all the way to the middle of his shin. "Did you find Joseph?"

"Aee, I did!" Daniel replied with a hint of pride, then gazed at her seriously. "We have to leave this swamp, Min. Tonight if possible. I will take you to Joseph while Bo and Luke pack your supplies."

Min nodded. "Is he all right? He didn't run into any alligators too did he?" She took a box of gauze from her first aid kit. She opened the box and pressed a few squares to some of the larger bite marks in his ankle.

"He is unhurt." Daniel said sharply, and pushed her hand away gently. "There is no time for this now! We must either leave this swamp by morning or get help!"

The tent flap snapped aside to reveal a wide-eyed Bo and Luke. "Daniel!" They exclaimed in unison, and began to bombard him with questions until he held his hands up, palm out, the Cheyenne sign for 'stop.' "I will answer all your questions later. Now there is no time." He took Min's hand. "Please gather your supplies, Min and I will return soon."

Jackie hummed as she loaded a plate filled with rice, steamed vegetables and a thick venison steak onto Min's wooden tray. She was hoping her patient was feeling up to a good hearty dinner. Nevada had been in and out of consciousness ever since the Dukes and Daniel left to go find his friend. The wounded Lakota's fever had finally broken the day before and Jackie hoped he was feeling better. She carried the tray up the stairs and opened the guest bedroom door. Nevada was asleep and she set the tray down and touched his forehead to make sure his fever was really gone.

The young man's eyes fluttered open at her touch and he peered up at her and the semi-dark room. "Nighttime?" He asked in a hoarse tone, blinking to clear his vision.

"Last time I looked." Jackie sat down on the edge of the bed. "How do you feel?"

A look of surprise dawned on his face. "Hungry!"

Jackie smiled as she leaned over and picked up the tray. "Oh good I was hoping you'd say that." She set the tray across his waist.

"That looks good, but you didn't have to. Thanks." He smiled, and sat up a little. He dug into the food like a starving man, and had the plate cleaned in less than fifteen minutes. Once he was done he pushed the tray aside with a sigh. "Oh man, I can't remember the last time I had a home cooked meal." He smiled.

"It's been a long time since I've cooked a meal for someone." Jackie looked down at the cleaned plate. "I better make sure the porcelain is still there."

"I could use a smoke after a meal like that." Nevada sighed, and looked around the room for the tanned and beaded bag he always carried on his belt.

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "As a member of the medical profession I'm supposed to discourage such habits in my patients." She bent down and picked up his bag. "But under the circumstances I say you've earned it." She took out a red box of Marlboros and a silver Zippo. She put a smoke in between his lips and flicked the lighter, touching the flame to the end of the cigarette.

Nevada inhaled deeply, and then exhaled a rich cloud of smoke. "That's the stuff." He grinned, showing perfect white teeth. Jackie sat beside him as he smoked with the same kind of quiet contemplation she had observed in Daniel. The young Lakota turned his silver Zippo over and over in his left hand as he smoked, and Jackie noticed that the lighter had an engraved 3-D image of a dream catcher on both of it's sides. 

"Nice lighter, that's a dream catcher right?" Jackie crossed her legs as she turned towards him.

Nevada nodded. "Yeah . . . I've had it awhile; it's kind of my good luck charm." He said with a self-depreciating smile and a shrug. "My grandmother gave it to me when I left South Dakota."

"Hasn't been too lucky for you lately though, has it?" The young woman was watching him. "You want to tell me exactly what it is you do for a living besides catch bullets?"

"That sort of is what I do." Nevada sighed, and set the lighter aside. "Look . . . I know you mean well and I really appreciate all you've done for me, but there isn't much I can tell you about myself. Not without taking a huge risk."

The doctor shrugged. "Life is a risk Nev, but only some of us get caught." She smiled at him. "My fee for services rendered is for you to be honest with me and tell me how you caught that bullet. I know you don't know me very well but I think I've earned a least a little of your trust over these past few days."

"No one's ever called me Nev before." The young man laughed. "Sounds like one of those muscle-bound half breeds that you see on the covers of bad romance novels." He paused, and his dark eyes roved over her from head to toe. "Although it doesn't sound too bad coming from a pretty lady." He flashed her a smile, and lit another smoke. "And you're right, you have earned my trust." He sat back a little. "I was born on the Pine Hills Reservation in South Dakota. My mom died giving birth to me, and my father lived at the bottom of a beer bottle. My grandmother raised me, mostly, and she believed in the old ways. When I was twelve I even went out and sought a vision."

"Did you find one?" She asked curiously as she took the tray off of him and set it back on the floor.

Nevada nodded a little. "When I returned home and told my grandmother what I saw, she told me that Wankantanka, the Good Supernatural, had given me great power. Not the kind of power that most white men seek with money and fame, but the kind of power that comes from inside and that would help The People. She gave me a new name, and started teaching me about the warrior's way."

Jackie nodded, his story was fascinating to her; everything about Nev was suddenly fascinating. "So you participated in the Sun Dance?"

Nevada shook his head. "The Sun Dance is more of a celebration now than what it used to be. I know most people who have read about it have this romantic misconception . . . but it's not done like that anymore." He explained, and sighed. "My grandmother died when I was seventeen. She was accidentally shot by an FBI agent who was chasing a 'fugitive' through the rez. A stray bullet went into our trailer window and hit her in the head while she was washing dishes." Nevada swallowed hard. "It killed her almost instantly."

The doctor closed her eyes briefly, her hand touching her mouth. "Oh my God..." She whispered as she opened her eyes and looked at him. "I'm so sorry Nev..." She reached down and touched his hand.

"Thanks." He replied softly, and a part of him felt regretful when Jackie took her hand away from his after a moment. "When she died, there was nothing left to stay for. I packed what little I owned, and hitched a ride off the rez that night." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "When my grandmother gave me my new name, she said it would tell The People that I was put on in this earth to help them." He looked Jackie in the eye. "And that's what I've been doing ever since. You know that man the FBI was chasing when they shot my grandmother?"

Jackie gave him a slight nod. "What about him?"

"He was a father of four and a hardworking man." Nevada said with an edge to his voice. "He'd also been framed by two white men who'd been burglarizing some houses on the rez. The truth came out, eventually . . . but by then that man had already done five years in the State Prison." Nevada shook his head. "For an Indian, prison is worse than death. I always remember his face when I do what I do." He said softly.

Jackie touched his hand again, curling her fingers around it. "So you help Indians that have been wrongfully arrested?"

"Or accused, yeah." He nodded, and adjusted the pillow behind his head. "I started out small, but now I have contacts all over the country that help me get these people into Canada or Mexico. We call ourselves The Medicine Wheel." The young man smiled a little. "I'm sure you've guessed by now that Nevada is a name I sort of made up for myself?"

Jackie shrugged her shoulders, a large grin appearing on her lips. "Well, I thought it might be but I wasn't sure. I like the name, though it suits you."

"Thanks." Nevada laughed, and then gave her a saucy smile. "Ever watch CNN?"

"Sure, when I want a reality check that the world is truly terrible I turn it on, why?"

"Ever heard of Dashee, the man the media calls The Indian Outlaw? Wanted in fifteen states, considered dangerous, said to be ruthless yet devastatingly handsome?" He asked with a rakish grin.

The young woman's eyes grew wide. "You? You're Dashee?" Her face had a look of pure astonishment.

"He and I are pretty close, yeah." The young man teased, then grew sober. "That doesn't scare you, does it? I mean, half the stuff they say about me on the news and in the tabloids is garbage. I've never hurt anyone unless I really had to."

Jackie's face grew a slight shade of pink and she cleared her throat. "No, it doesn't scare me at all."

"You're blushing." He pointed out with an expectant look on his face.

"I just always thought Dashee was remarkable and a little dangerous..." She looked away from him, hoping her face wasn't as bright red as it felt.

Nevada began to laugh, and kept laughing until his bullet wound reminded him it hadn't healed when it gave a sharp twinge. The laughter turned into a groan, and he bit his lip to keep from laughing anymore. "I'm five foot eleven in my bare feet, and I weigh one eighty-five. Does that sound dangerous to you, sweetheart?"

Jackie started to laugh and shook her head. "No, but I really don't think you weigh one eighty-five." Her face once again began to grow red. "You're in really good shape."

"Trust me, I'm a real ninety eight pound weakling." He smiled, although the subtle muscle tone visible in his arms and legs told a different story. He was lean and fit from years of hard travel and exercise. "Although that meal you fed me before might have put a few more pounds on me!"

"You don't look weak to me and a pound or two from home cooking won't hurt."

"Sometimes I think I could do with a little more home cooking." Nevada sighed, and glanced out the window. "I wonder if they've found Joseph yet."

"I'm sure they have Nev, Bo and Luke really know the swamps well, their family used to hide from the Revenuers in it." She still had a hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze. "If anyone can find Joseph, they can."

"They have to find him soon." Nevada replied, squeezing Jackie's hand in return. Then, without even realizing it, he didn't let go.

Min held Daniel's hand as they headed into the dark swamp. "Daniel why is it so necessary for us to rush out of here? What is so urgent?"

"You will see soon enough." Daniel replied, and was silent as they traveled across boggy land for the next fifteen minutes. They finally came to a large twisted swamp maple surrounded by high water plants and mud, and Daniel pulled Min around it's side to reveal a large hollow. He'd added extra protection from the weather by lashing some reeds together and building a small awning, but it was a poor shelter. As they approached, a frightened voice cried out. "Who's there?"

"It is Daniel, Joseph! I have brought help." Daniel knelt down in the squishy earth next to the young man who was huddled in the hollow tree like an animal. He pulled Min down beside him. "This is Min, the woman I told you about."

Min leaned close to the hollow tree, she saw a young Indian man in raggedy, muddy clothes. He was a little on the thin side, his long dark hair was caked with mud. He was cradling something small to his chest. Min smiled at him, trying to put him at ease. "It's okay Joseph, I'm a friend. I'm here to help you get out of here."

"We have to leave tonight." Joseph said in a small voice, and looked down at bundle. "All of us." He pulled the blanket away to reveal the pinched, whimpering face of an infant boy. Tears came to the young man's eyes. "Please . . . he's so cold, and I can't keep him dry anymore."

Min gasped when she saw the baby, she quickly took off her jean jacket and opened it. "Here, let me wrap him in this."

"I'm out of milk, and clean diapers too." Joseph said in despair, and handed Min the child. Daniel helped the young man to his feet. "It will be all right now, Joseph. Min's brother and cousin have some supplies. Not much, but we can at least keep you and your son warm and dry. Come." He said, and started to lead them back where Bo and Luke were waiting.

Min wrapped the young baby in her jacket. She pressed him to her chest, rubbing his back with one hand. "It's okay little one; it's going to be okay."

After a long and heated discussion, it was Luke who made the final decision to travel into Hatchapee that night instead of waiting until morning. As they packed the canoe and set out into the night with only a single lantern to guide them, Joseph's tiny son began to cry.

"He's so hungry." Joseph said softly, and Daniel held his arms out.

"May I see him, Joseph? I think I might be able to help."

Joseph handed the baby over with an expression of doubt in his dark eyes, and Daniel turned to Min.

"Love, have you any kind of cereal in your pack?"

"I have a little bit of raisin bran." Min replied, and Daniel nodded.

"That may do." He said, and she handed it over. He carefully picked out the raisins and crushed the flakes into a powder with both hands, then added what little good water they had left to make a thin gruel.

"Will he drink that?" Joseph asked dubiously as Daniel filled a bottle with it, and the young Cheyenne tilted his head to the left in the Cheyenne equivalent of a shrug.

"If he is hungry enough, he might." Daniel replied, and put the bottle to the tiny child's lips. The baby turned his head away, wailed once, then drank three of four sips. Joseph smiled.

"He's eating!"

"You should be proud, Joseph. He is a fine son." Daniel said, and the other young man nodded.

"His name is Thomas, and yes, he is a fine son." He took a deep, shuddering breath.

"I wasn't sure . . . I thought he was dying when you found me."

"He was cold and hungry to be sure." Daniel nodded, and felt Min staring at him. He blushed, and handed the child to Joseph.

"Here. He is your son, after all." He said softly, and felt an ache in his heart as he said the words. For as much as he loved Min and wanted to be her husband, Little Horse's cruelty had stolen the courage and good medicine he would need to make children.

"Another hour, maybe a little less!" Luke called over his shoulder, and Min leaned against Daniel.

"Thank God! I'm beginning to know the mosquitoes on a first name basis!" She exclaimed, and the tension in the small canoe was relieved as several smiles flashed in the darkness.

The group made it into Hatchapee just before dawn, and it was quickly decided that Min would take Thomas into town for milk and diapers. Joseph was still a wanted man, and not very many people would question a woman with a small child. She returned a half hour later with two large bags of supplies for the baby, and some food for the men. As the men tore into the wrapped sandwiches she'd bought, Min noticed that Daniel looked pale and feverish.

"Love?" She reached forward with both hands and felt his cheeks and forehead. They were warm despite the chill of the morning.

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked, and Daniel nodded wearily.

"I am just tired." He said, and Min looked down at his bandaged ankle. It was ragged and dirty, and the exposed, injured flesh was red and swollen. Some of the puncture marks oozed a yellowish fluid. Min gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my God." She said in a low voice, and turned to Bo.

"Hand me that water jug, Bo."

Bo gave her one of the jugs of water she'd brought, and Min quickly went to work cleaning out the wounds as best she could. Bo watched over her shoulder.

"It's not going to help much, Min. Those wounds are infected."

"I know they're infected, and we need to get him out of here!" She snapped in reply, and used a clean sock from her backpack to redress the worst of the injuries. As she unwrapped a sandwich, Daniel made an unhappy face. Min nodded.

"I know, I know . . . but you have to eat something!" She said, then her expression softened.

"Please? For me?"

Daniel sighed and eyed the sandwich. It was some kind of thin white meat on top of several slices of the red fruit that Min called tomatoes. Min gave him an encouraging smile, and he finally bit into the food to please her. It was stale and awful, although Bo, Luke and Joseph seemed to be enjoying theirs. Min patted his arm.

"I promise, I'll make you some venison stew when we get home."

"How are we getting home, anyway?" Bo asked around a mouthful of sandwich. Luke wrinkled his nose.

"Oh that's charming, cousin." He drawled, and Bo blushed as he swallowed the food.

"Scuse me." He said with a shamefaced grin.

"You're excused, and to answer your question, I used a pay phone in town to call for a ride. Michelle will be here as soon as she can, and then we'll head back to the farmhouse." Min replied. She glanced over at Thomas, who was wrapped in a thick blanket and blissfully sucking at a bottle of formula.

"All we can do is wait."

Nev lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, reveling in both the taste of the tobacco and the sunset that he was seeing. It was the first time he'd been outside in four days, and the cool air on his face was like water to a man dying of thirst.

"Feels good to be out, doesn't it?" Jackie smiled as she stepped outside, and Nevada nodded. His side was still bandaged, but he could walk on his own and his appetite was good.

"Feels like I've been in prison. No offense to your cooking or care, of course." He laughed, and Jackie nodded.

"None taken." She replied, and twisted the dishtowel that she held in her hands.

"Nev, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"I was just wondering . . . what's going to happen when Min and the boys get back? Will you still try and get Joseph on that train to Canada?"

"Of course. That's what I do." Nevada replied, and flicked his cigarette butt into the coffee can Jackie had put out for him.

"Will you come back to Hazzard?" Jackie asked, although she dreaded the answer. Nev stared out into the sunset for several minutes before he replied.

"I can't promise that I will, Jackie. It's hard for a man like me to make promises about coming back."

"I understand." Jackie said softly, and touched his hand. "I just wanted you to know that if you wanted to come back, well . . . there would be someone here to welcome you."

Nevada turned to her and gave her a gentle smile.

"Dr. Broadway. . . . I'll keep that in mind, believe me." He grinned, then turned back towards the road as a car turned into the yard. He ducked inside, and Jackie smiled as she saw who was driving.

"It's them! Nev it's okay, it's them!"

Nevada came back outside, and his injury seemed all but healed as he bounded down the porch steps and ran over to Joseph. He searched the man's dark eyes anxiously, then looked immensely relieved when he saw that the baby was alive and healthy.

"Thank the Great Spirit." He breathed, then gasped as Min helped Daniel out of the car. The young Cheyenne was sweating heavily, his lower left leg wrapped in a blood spotted bandage.

"Daniel!" Jackie exclaimed as she walked up to the car, and instantly got an arm around his waist as Min struggled to keep him upright.

"He's got an infected wound, Jackie, and there wasn't much I could do to help him out there." She said in a frightened tone, and Jackie nodded.

"It doesn't look too bad yet, Min. Don't worry, after some clean dressing and a round of antibiotics, he'll be good as new. Come on, Sweets, let's get you inside." She said to Daniel, and got him into the house with Bo and Luke's help.

Nevada held Joseph's infant boy as he took another bottle, a look of joy and relief on his face. He smiled up at Min.

"Now do you see why it was so important for me to get someone out into that swamp?" He asked, and Min frowned.

"You could have just told me." She said in an accusatory tone, and Nev shrugged.

"I didn't know you very well. I couldn't risk it." He replied, and lay the baby in the wicker basket that Min had prepared for him. It was well padded with blankets, and the baby fell asleep almost instantly when Nevada put him down.

"I thought I'd lost both of them." He sighed, and Bo shook his head.

"No, Nevada, you did good! You got Min to send the right people out into that swamp to find them."

"That's true. No one knows that swamp better than we do." Luke put in, and Bo laughed.

"Except maybe for Swamp Molly, but it would have taken another four days just to find where she's been hiding!"

"Cooter told me she got eaten by gators years ago." Min scoffed, and Bo raised his eyebrows.

"Don't be so sure, Min. If you'd ever met Molly, you might think it happened the other way around."

"In any case, I can't thank you enough for what you did." Nevada said sincerely, and looked over at Min.

"I hope Daniel will be okay. I'm sorry he got hurt."

"I'm just glad he's alive. For awhile I wasn't so sure." She sighed. Daniel was sleeping deeply on his own pile of furs in their room, his wounds cleansed with antiseptic. He had been given a dose of penicillin and the antibiotic had made him drowsy. Joseph was also asleep, recovering from exhaustion and mild dehydration.

"I'll let Joseph sleep till tomorrow morning, then we'll leave at dawn for the train yard. We'll hop a freight that'll take us to Cleveland, then another into Canada. After that, my contacts up north will help him start fresh." Nevada said, and Bo furrowed his brow.

"What exactly did Joseph do, anyway?" He asked, and Nevada was quiet for several moments before he replied.

"He killed a man. To be specific, a white cop."

"Oh my God!" Luke exclaimed, and Nevada nodded.

"I know how it sounds. Truth be told though, it was an accident. Joseph never meant for it to happen."

"How did it happen?" Min asked as she poured the men a round of coffee.

"Joseph's wife gave birth to Thomas just a few months ago. She worked the night shift at a small cafe just outside the rez where they lived. One night as she was driving home, a local deputy pulled her over with some bullshit about one of her taillights being defective. He ordered her out of the car, then raped her right there on the roadside." Nevada explained with an angry edge to his voice.

"I guess this skunk had his eye on her for a few months. Joseph knew him, he was a regular at the cafe where his wife worked. Anyway, he was out on the roads with the baby in the backseat of the car, looking for Tammy. It was late and the weather was bad. Then he came upon Tammy's car, and the cop car behind it. Once he found them on the roadside, his wife all scraped up with her dress torn, it wasn't hard for Joseph to figure out what happened." Nev paused, closing his eyes briefly. "He got there too late. When the deputy saw the headlights coming his way . . . he cut Tammy's throat to keep her from crying out."

"Jesus!" Bo exclaimed, nearly dropping his coffee cup. "Just like that, on the roadside?"

"Just like that." Nevada nodded, and his lip curled. "After all . . . she was just an Indian, right? Anyway, when Joseph saw what the cop had done, he rushed him in a fit of blind fury. They fought around in the rain, and then the deputy pulled a buck knife from a sheath on his ankle. Joseph told me he knew he was in over his head, but seeing Tammy laying there in the rain and hearing his son crying from the car, he knew he had to take a stand. He jumped the man again, but by then the ground was muddy from the rain. They fell together, and the deputy was killed when he fell on the knife he'd been holding."

Min shook her head. "Then it was an accident."

"That's not how a jury would see it." Luke sighed, and Nevada nodded.

"Exactly. A young Indian, 'accidentally' killing an officer of the law? Never mind that his wife was lying there dead . . . besides, with the cop dead, there was no proof that Joseph didn't kill her himself in a domestic dispute. The deputy was wearing gloves, so there were no prints. Joseph did the only thing he could do. He took his little boy, and ran."

"Will he really be safe in Canada?" Bo asked, and Nevada smiled.

"Yeah. My contacts will see to it. They'll give him a new name, a new identity. He'll vanish like a feather in the wind." Nevada yawned and put his cup aside.

"I'd better get some sleep. We need to be out of here by dawn."

Birds were just beginning their morning songs in the pale light of dawn when the Dukes and their friends gathered on the front porch. Joseph and Nev were dressed in borrowed clothes, courtesy of Bo and Luke, and were well supplied with food and supplies for Thomas. It was less then two miles to the train yards, and to the freight car that would carry Joseph and his infant son to freedom and a new life.

Jackie stepped forward and touched Nevada's hand gently. "I'm going to miss you." She said softly, and Nevada enfolded her fingers in his. "I'm going to miss you, too . . . and I'll try and come back as soon as I can."

The young woman nodded. "Promise?"

Nevada shook his head soberly. "Like I told you before, I can't make any promises." He flashed her a smile. "I'll tell you this though, Doc . . . it's going to be hard to get you out of my head." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then did the same to Min. "And you! You're tougher than old rawhide."

Min smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm a Duke, it runs in the family." She took his hands and gave them a squeeze. "You be careful out there, all right? Don't go getting yourself killed, okay?"

"I'll try!" He laughed, and shook Bo's hand, then Luke's. "Thanks for everything. You boys are okay for a couple of white-eyes." He laughed, then turned to Daniel.

The young Cheyenne was obviously doing better thanks to Jackie's treatment. His eyes were clear and alert, his fever gone. Nevada stepped forward and grasped Daniel's forearms warmly. "You are a fine warrior." He told the young man in Lakota, and Daniel handed Nevada a bag of fine tobacco. "I thank you for your praise, and I hope one day to find courage like yours."

"You already have it, you just don't know it yet." Nevada replied in English, and turned to put a hand on Joseph's arm. "Come on. It's getting late; we'd better go before it gets too light out."

Jackie was watching Nevada, part of her wishing he didn't have to go; the other part knowing she would probably never see him again. That was a terrible thought and she shook it out of her mind. The two men started to leave, walking down the three steps of the porch. "Nev?"

He turned his head to look at her. "It's getting late, Jackie." He said softly.

"I know it is." Jackie swallowed hard. "You be sure and take care of that wound, I'd hate to have to bill you twice for my services." She gave him a smile.

"Right." He grinned back, and gave her a wink. "I hope I see you soon." He said, and then he and Joseph were gone, heading across the yard and vanishing into the woods across from the farmhouse.

Daniel smiled and put an arm around Min. "I will pray every day for their safe passage until Nevada returns." He glanced at Jackie, and reached out to gently touch her shoulder. "I would bet everything I own that he will."

Jackie gazed at the woods where Nevada had vanished only moments before.

"He damn well better try." She whispered, and went back into the house.