Chapter 6 Collapse.
The enticing aroma of coffee woke me up. I had slept longer than I intended. Pulling on my boots, I stepped out of the room putting on a clean shirt. Jess and Mort were already at the kitchen table sipping their brews.
Ewell looked slightly pale I noted with more than just a little bit of satisfaction. He had quieted his rantings but still glared at everyone. The other outlaw whose name we learned was Boggs sat on the floor scowling up at us. He was still tied hand and foot. 'Good!' I thought. 'Keep him that way!' I felt like kicking him.
As I poured my coffee, Mike came stumbling out of his room. Apparently he slept in his clothes, too. When he saw the outlaws, he stopped short, wide eyed.
"Mike, come sit over here by me," Mort invited.
No sooner did we sit when Daisy bustled in from the kitchen with a plate of hot biscuits, gravy, eggs and sausage.
"What about us?" Boggs growled from the floor.
"You'll get yours after!" Mort said crossly. He made no mention of after what.
"Mort," Jess said, "we could transport these two and the money back to Laramie on the morning stage. I can hitch Trav to the back and once we have them in jail, I could go back and get those other bodies. You said they were on a litter, right?"
Mort nodded, his mouth stuffed with biscuit.
"I could get them and head back to Laramie with them."
"What about the rest of the Harding gang? I figure they'll be on the watch for us. They could pounce on you when you went to pick up the bodies."
"Or," Jess interjected, "they could pounce on us on the stage. Look, Ewell needs a doc to see THAT HIS LEG DOESN'T FALL OFF." Jess spoke loudly for the thief's benefit. (Ewell's eyes bugged at the mention of his leg) "That may be to our advantage. Isom might let his brother see the doc."
"I wish there was more than just you and me and Slim! We can't leave Daisy and Mike here by themselves."
"Once we get to Laramie, we can deputize some men and send them back here to help."
Daisy interrupted, "Slim, that girl in there needs to see the doctor too." She glanced over to the closed door.
"Yes, but I'd prefer he see her here; that way she won't have to travel with these mangy curs! Besides Daisy, I'm not sure she's well enough for a long trip like that."
Jess finalized the plans: "It's settled. Mort and I will go to Laramie with the two prisoners on the morning stage. He'll send a couple of his deputies back. I'll get another deputy and we'll fetch the bodies. In the meantime, the doc can look at Ewell's leg and then we can escort doc here to look at the girl."
I wasn't convinced. "Where does that leave me?"
"Someone has to stay and guard the place. We can't leave Daisy and Mike here by themselves."
I put my hands up in surrender, "Alright, alright!"
Daisy put in her two cents worth, "And while you're gone, I'll get, uh, Virginia... was it?" I nodded. "Virginia cleaned up so the doctor can examine her."
As usual, Mose was right on time with the morning stage. Fortunately, he wasn't carrying any passengers on this run. Jess and I helped Ewell to the coach- which was no mean feat since he was about the size of a bear. Mort stuck Boggs beside him in the opposite seat; the dead outlaw was put on the floor. Jess tied Traveler to the back of the coach. Then he handed the money satchel up to Mose who tucked it into the boot. Jess scrambled up to the Shotgun position.
He looked down at me," if all goes accordin' t'plan, we should be back here with the doc 'fore mid-afternoon."
In all sincerity, I shook Jess' hand, "You be careful, Pard!"
He grinned down at me, "You do the same!"
With that the coach shoved off for Laramie. I couldn't help but worry about them and prayed they would be safe.
Wanting to let Virginia rest as long as possible, Daisy cleared away the breakfast dishes, washed them and put them away. Then she swept the floor while I tried to keep busy outside feeding the livestock, mucking the stalls, rubbing down the coach horses and inspecting the corral fence.
I was uneasy about letting only Jess and Mort escort the prisoners to town. Ewell's brother was out there somewhere. I doubt he'd let a little thing like a stagecoach keep him from getting the money and freeing his brother. I kept my rifle within easy reach and scanned the hills from time to time.
I put Mike to work in the barn soaping the harnesses, bridles and saddles. I gave him strict instructions that if he heard shooting to drop to the ground and stay there until I came to get him.
Nearly two hours later, a couple of deputies arrived. Grateful they were here, I told them to position themselves where they could watch both front and back.
One of the deputies, John Anderson, said that Mort and Jess had to fight their way to town. They made it but the outlaw Boggs was wounded in the gun battle.
I tensed up when Anderson passed on this information. My fear came true. I was not relieved much at hearing they made it without injury to Jess or Mort. That still meant that Isom and the gang was still free. Free to try again to liberate his brother or make a grab for the money or both.
A hunter by the name of Cabe Andrews had found the travois with the three bodies on it and had drug it into town. "I think he was aimin' tuh see if there's a re-ward for their hides," the deputy drawled. I didn't doubt but what there was, though since it was Mort and me who killed them, I doubted he'd collect.
"Slim," called Daisy, interrupting my thoughts, "could you help me with this washtub? I've put some water on to boil to clean Virginia up."
"Sure, Daisy." I carried the bulky washtub into the living area and placed it where Daisy pointed. "I'll draw some water, too."
When the tub was filled, Daisy tried to shoo me out the door.
"Hang on, Daisy," I protested. "She has not been acting normally since we found her. She hasn't eaten or drunk anything for at least three days now. She acts as though she's in a shock. Perhaps I should stay until I see how she is feeling."
Daisy quietly knocked on the door, stepped inside, and knelt by the bed. "Hello Virginia. My name is Daisy Cooper. Do you think you would like to get cleaned up and eat something?" Daisy came back out the door with Virginia in tow by the hand. Virginia looked dazed and she was hunched over again. Daisy smiled at me, "I think we'll be alright, Slim. I'll let you know when it's safe to come back in. Oh, and keep Mike out of here."
I looked at Virginia once more before I went out the door. She still was very pale and drawn, her eyes were glassy and there were still dark circles but they seemed more pronounced than before. I couldn't shake a certain feeling of dread about her.
About a half hour later, Jess rode up, dismounted and was on the porch before I knew it.
"JESS!" I shouted running toward him from the barn. "Wait a minute!"
"What's up?" He asked
"Daisy is helping Virginia get cleaned up."
"Oh," he said awkwardly, looking at the door he almost opened- red flushing his cheeks.
Jess followed me back to the barn leading Traveler. "The doc's on his way and…"
"SLIM!" It was Daisy shouting. My heart froze in my mouth. I ran toward the house and burst through the kitchen door.
"Daisy?!" I called.
"Over here!" came her reply. She was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs next to the tub trying desperately to hold onto Virginia who had collapsed to the floor with a woolen blanket around her. Dark blood was pooling beneath her.
"Daisy, what…?"
"Help me get her to bed!"
I lifted the slender girl in my arms. Daisy rushed and pulled down the covers of the bed Virginia had slept in the night before. I laid her gently down. Blood had quickly soaked through the wool blanket; I felt something warm rolling down my arm; it had to be blood. Blood also soaked the sheets in a hurry and was soon seeping into the bed.
Virginia looked positively ashen and sweat was pouring from her body. She shivered uncontrollably and as I laid her down, I could feel heat emanating from her nude body. She shivered enough to shake the bed and her teeth chattered loudly. Her breathing was very fast and shallow. She curled up instinctively to keep herself warm. She was so thin that I could count her ribs and vertebrae!
I looked in revulsion at her back. Deep lash marks, cuts, huge bruises and reddened, peeling skin covered her entire back! All of it looked angry red. Hers was identical to Victoria's back. I swallowed hard.
"Daisy?"
"It's very bad Slim, she needs a doctor and quickly! She's losing a lot of blood; going into shock!"
"I'll send Jess to hurry the doctor!"
I turned to back out the door and almost collided with Jess. "Fetch the doc, Jess! HURRY!"
I reckon Jess saw the blood dripping from my arm cause he looked at me confused, "Slim?"
"It's Virginia's and she's losing a lot of it. So hurry up!"
Jess hurried out the door and swung up on Traveler and galloped off.
Mike was in the middle of the barn yard uncertain what to do. "Mike, I need to…" how to find a job for the boy? "I need you to finish soaping the harnesses for me."
His eyes downcast, he couldn't hide his disappointment about being left out of the excitement and not being able to help. "Yes sir." He mumbled unenthusiastically and disappeared back into the barn.
"Slim!" Daisy's call snapped me back, "I need some cold water and some clean bandages!"
I ran to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl and pumped cool water into the bowl. Carefully, I made my way to the bedroom and set the water down. In the next room we kept spare clean sheets. I started tearing one of these into bandages. When I got back to the sickroom, I couldn't help but notice all the blood that had soaked through the mattress and was now beginning to drip from the bed onto the floor, forming a small pool.
"Can't you stop the bleeding, Daisy?"
"I'm not sure, Slim," was all she'd say. She worked feverishly to staunch the flow. She did manage to slow it some but it still dripped. I was pretty much useless so I just bathed Virginia's face with a cool compress.
When I looked at her, I couldn't help but become more alarmed; I didn't think it was possible for someone to look so pale! The large dark bruises and bite marks stood out in stark relief from her paled skin. I could imagine almost seeing through her skin to her organs inside.
"After all she's been through!" I thought to myself; heartsick.
