Chapter 9 – A Night to Remember

As Jess neared the livery stable, he noticed the door was standing wide open. "Cal must be feelin' the heat. He don't ever leave the door open this time of night."

They walked cautiously in through the open door and looked around, but the livery stable appeared to be deserted apart from the horses. Slim frowned. "I wonder where he's got to?"

Frank didn't like the idea of the horses being left unattended but he was sure there'd be a simple explanation. "Maybe he just went out for some supper."

Noting how dim the light was by Cal's table and chair and how brightly the livery was lit further along the stalls, Jess frowned. "I don't reckon that's it Frank. Cal ain't supposed to leave the livery unattended and he's pretty reliable. He usually has his supper sent over."

"You're right Jess. Cal wouldn't have gone for supper or even sent out for a beer if he didn't have someone to cover for him." Slim looked down at the battered-looking playing cards set out on the table. "He was in the middle of a card game so why would he move the lantern away from the table."

"Looks like he had company." Frank observed. "There're two hands on the table."

Jess shook his head. "No… I reckon he was on his own. Ole Cal always plays stud against himself when he's on duty. He told me he gets two chances of winnin' that way and he always keeps that lantern right here where he sits, unless he's checkin' on the horses." Jess wandered along the line of stalls looking over the horses until he came to where their own mounts were accommodated right under the circle of light thrown by the lantern. "It's turned up real high. Everythin' seems to be OK, but I just got a feelin' somethin' ain't right."

Frank stopped to check on his grey but Slim carried on, examining each of the stalls and receiving various snorts and nickers of greeting from the horses stabled there before turning to look back down the row. "Nothin' out of place at all, except for that lantern. Maybe Cal was just takin' a look at all the horses and got called away."

"Maybe… in that case I reckon he oughta be back pretty soon. I just can't shake off that feelin' though." Jess felt around in his vest pocket and pulled out one of the sugar lumps he'd filched from Molly's cafe, offering it to Traveller on the palm of his hand. Traveller gave a low nicker of welcome and lipped eagerly at the treat. "I guess you been waitin' on that all night, haven't ya fella?" Jess stroked Trav's mane as he crunched on the sugar lump and searched around for more, nuzzling against Jess's vest. "Sorry fella. The other one's for Alamo and he won't be too pleased if I give it to you."

Jess gave Alamo his treat before Slim returned from the other end of the stable and after spending a little more time with their horses, the three men walked over to where the buckboard team was stalled. Jess took a quick look over the horses and gave them both their customary sugar lump. "Cal still ain't back. I don't like leavin' the livery unattended like this. I'm gonna go look for him. Are you two comin? If Cal's gone for a beer he'll probably be in the Stockman's Palace. I wouldn't mind a beer myself before turnin' in and if he's there we can send him back to do his job."

"I guess I'll go along with that" Slim gave a farewell pat on the rump to one of the sturdy horses. "How about you Frank? You gonna join us?"

"Yeah… count me in. A beer sounds good to me too."

Slim indicated the door to the livery. "Lead the way Jess."

Jess walked back down the line of stalls and the two other men followed, waiting while Jess gave a last stroke to Traveller's soft muzzle. As Jess turned to leave Slim reached up to lift the lantern down and noticed a leather pouch hanging on Jess's saddle horn. "Hold on there, Jess!" Jess looked back as Slim lifted the pouch from the saddle horn and held it out. "This isn't yours, is it?"

Jess looked at the pouch in surprise and shook his head. "Nah… it ain't mine." He took the pouch Slim was holding out and examined it under the light of the lantern. "Looks like a tobacco pouch." He sniffed at it. "Smells like a tobacco pouch. I ain't ever seen it before. I wonder why it's been left on my saddle?"

Slim looked over Jess's shoulder at the pouch. "Maybe someone put it there by mistake. Is there anythin' in there that might give us a clue about who it belongs to?"

Frank was as curious about the pouch as the other two men. "I can't see it bein' a mistake. I suppose if the light wasn't too good it could've been but that lantern's turned up so high it's almost daylight in here. Why don't you have a look see Jess?" He joined Slim in peering over Jess's shoulder at the pouch.

Jess hefted the bag in his hand. "It's light. Don't feel like there's anythin' in it." The drawstring was tied in a tight knot and Jess loosened it with some difficulty. He looked inside the pouch. "No tobacco… but there's a piece of paper in here… maybe someone wanted to leave me a note. Seems a strange way of goin' about it… Maybe it's a bill of sale or somethin'. Might have a name on it." He slipped his fingers into the pouch to draw out the piece of paper.

"Ow!" Jess pulled his hand sharply away from the pouch and studied his index finger. "There's somethin' sharp in there. Must be a pin or a tack or somethin'." He put his fingers in again and felt around carefully, looking for the offending object and gave another yelp. "Darn it! What the heck is that?" He drew out the paper carefully and unfolding it, found it to be part of a scribbled note but there was no name and the writing was illegible. Something tickled the back of his hand and he glanced down. Jess flung down the pouch with an exclamation of revulsion and stepped hurriedly back, shaking his hand and crashing into Slim and Frank who were standing right behind him.

"Aw hell…" Jess brushed franticly at his clothes.

"Take it easy Jess!" Slim grabbed at the stall to regain his balance. "What the heck's up with you?"

"That weren't a tack Slim. It was a spider and it looked a hell of a lot like a black widow…" He looked at Slim, a worried expression on his face. "I reckon it was a female. I didn't get a real good look but it was about the right size. I sure riled her up some." He nudged the pouch with the toe of his boot but nothing emerged. Looking around the area he couldn't see the spider. "I must've shook her off into the corner."

Frank took the lantern off the hook. "This is just the sort of place they like to call home butI never heard of one makin' herself a nest in a tobacco pouch before, let alone tyin' herself in with a knot." He looked carefully around the area where Jess had dropped the pouch, poking gingerly at the straw with his boot. He took a sudden step forward and stamped down on a patch of straw. "If that was a black widow I think we should get Jess over to the hotel and send for the doctor." He held the lantern up as Slim crouched down to examine the small, flattened spider.

Slim looked up. "It was a black widow all right but it's hard to tell whether it was a female or not. You flattened it real good Frank." Slim got to his feet and grabbed hold of the hand Jess was nursing. Pulling him closer to the lantern that Frank was holding up, he studied Jess's fingers "You got two bites Jess. Look there, you can see the fang marks in the middle of each of those red patches." Jess and Frank peered at the fingers Slim was studying. "See…? Those two pairs of tiny little red spots? Have you been bitten by one of these things before Jess?"

Jess gave Slim a look of dread. "Yeah… I got bit once durin' the war. I was real sick for about three days and I didn't feel any too good for about three days after that. If this is anythin' like the last time I reckon I got about 15 or 20 minutes before it starts to hit me. I gotta get over to Doc Ellis, Slim."

Frank hung the lantern up over the stall again and took a good look at Jess. He thought his friend was looking a bit pale but whether it was the effect of the bites or Jess's fear of what he might be in for he wasn't too sure. "We need to have the doctor look you over but don't you think you'd be more comfortable in a hotel bed than on a hard couch in a doctor's surgery?"

"Yeah Frank… I reckon I would but ole Robison won't be too happy about me bein' at the hotel. Last time I got bit I sweated enough to flood a dried-up creek bed. I'd better just get over to the Doc's."

Slim gave his partner one of his disapproving looks. "Doc's couch is none too comfortable for anythin' but a temporary stay Jess. If you reacted badly before, it's pretty certain you will again. I'm gettin' you over to the hotel and into bed. You're white as a sheet already."

Frank was looking thoughtful. "I don't know where the Doc's surgery is Slim. Why don't I go back to the hotel with Jess while you fetch the Doc?"

Slim nodded. "All right Frank. I'll let Mort know about this on my way back too."

Frank slid a supportive arm around Jess's waist. "Come on Jess, let's get you to the hotel."

Jess shrugged Frank's arm away. "I'm OK Frank. I can make it fine by myself."

Slim took hold of Jess's arm and steered him toward the livery door. "Now is not the time to get all ornery on us Jess. Don't waste time arguin', just get over to the hotel while you can still make it by yourself."

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

Doctor Ellis's wife Marjorie opened the door to Slim's insistent knocking.

"Why Slim…! What is it?" Marjorie asked, slightly alarmed by the young man's anxious expression.

"It's Jess… He's been bitten by a spider. A black widow. Female we think. Is Doc there?"

Marjorie Ellis hid her concern under the calm exterior she reserved for the more urgent cases. "I'm afraid he's with another patient at the moment Slim. He's just stitching up a very deep gash and I'm not sure when he'll be free. How long ago was Jess bitten and where was the bite?"

Slim hesitated a second or two as he thought back. "Must be around 15 minutes ago." Slim remembered Jess's comment about how long he had before it started to hit him. And I figure Jess'll be feelin' the effects of it right about now. "He got bitten twice on his fingers. He told me he'd been bitten before and he was pretty sick that time. He's over at the hotel. Could you ask Doc if there's anythin' we ought to do while we wait for him? Daisy's there but I'm not sure if she's dealt with anythin' like this before. I haven't."

"Wait here a moment Slim. I'll be as quick as I can." Marjorie tapped lightly on the surgery door and went in, closing the door behind her. Slim heard the low rumble of Doc's voice and Marjorie's lighter tones in response and after several minutes Marjorie returned carrying two large folded yellow sheets that looked to be made of the same fabric as Slim's rain slicker.

"Doctor Ellis said he'd do his best to speed things up but he can't leave his present patient until he's finished stitching. Hopefully he'll only be another twenty minutes or so."

Slim looked at her quizzically as she handed him the two large sheets.

"You need to put one of these sheets over the bed to protect it. Keep the other as a spare. Put a couple of large towels or sheets over the top of the waterproof and be prepared to change them frequently. Jess will probably sweat profusely and Mr. Robison won't be too happy if one of his precious mattresses gets soaked. Have a word with Dierdre Robison. I'm sure she'll get you some spare towels and sheets. Keep Jess as quiet as possible, get him to drink plenty of water and don't leave him on his own. He's going to need all the support you can give him. Oh… wash the area of the bites with soap and water and keep his hand elevated if you can. You must expect chills and fever. The muscle pain from these bites usually affects the entire body but he's likely to have painful cramping too. It's usually just in the area of the bites at first but it will spread to his upper body."

Marjorie squeezed Slim's hand as she saw the worried expression on his face. "It sounds bad I know but that's probably the worst scenario. It's usually only the sick, young children or the elderly that don't make it through, and many people have hardly any symptoms at all. Doctor Ellis said it depends on how much venom the spider injects into the wound. Jess is young too and strong and that's in his favour. I'm sure he'll be fine. I hope so… but it could still be a very unpleasant night for him."

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

It had been Slim's intention to tell Mort about what had happened but the jailhouse was in darkness when he passed it. When he got back to the hotel Jess was laying restlessly on the bed in Daisy's room, with the covers pulled down toward the end of the bed. Daisy sat by the bed bathing Jess's right hand in a bowl of hot soapy water while William hovered nearby looking concerned and feeling more than a little useless.

Slim looked anxiously over at his partner and spoke quietly to William not wanting to disturb Jess. "I thought I'd see Mort about this on the way back from Doc's surgery but there wasn't anyone over at the jail. How is he?"

William shook his head despondently. "Frank said you weren't sure whether it was a female that bit him but I'm afraid it must've been. He isn't too good right now. Why didn't you bring the doctor back with you?"

"Doc Ellis was halfway through stitchin' up a patient but I spoke to his wife." Slim moved over to the bed and Daisy looked up as she finished bathing Jess's hand and dried it off.

"Try and keep that hand raised for a while Jess." Daisy rose from the chair and picking up the bowl of soapy water, she ushered Slim away from the bed handing the bowl to William. "Could you dispose of that for me William? Deirdre's kitchen is on the ground floor. Just go through the door behind the reception desk. She won't mind." William took the bowl away only too pleased to help in some way.

Daisy looked worriedly over at the bed. "Jess is feeling very ill already. The symptoms have come on quickly and I think he might be in for a very bad night." Daisy eyed the bundle Slim was clutching. "Are those waterproof sheets?"

Slim nodded and deposited the sheets into Daisy's outstretched arms. "Marjorie Ellis gave them to me. Doc's busy stitchin' up a patient but he said he'd be over as soon as he could. Marjorie said Jess'd be sweatin' a lot and we'd need one of those sheets to protect the mattress. She gave me a spare in case we needed it. Is it really gonna be that bad Daisy? Couldn't we just put an extra sheet over the mattress?"

"Once Jess starts to sweat it won't matter how many sheets we put over the mattress, they'll be soaked through in no time." Daisy put the sheets down on a chair in the corner of the room. "I've seen a few cases of black widow bite and I know what to expect. They don't always affect people that badly but I'm afraid that isn't going to be the case with Jess. Thankfully, the sweating hasn't started yet but I don't think it'll be much longer."

William returned from the kitchen and replaced the emptied bowl on the nightstand. "Is there anythin' else I can do?"

"Well we were just talking about getting one of these waterproof sheets under Jess to protect the mattress." Daisy picked up one of the sheets. "It would be a real help if you and Slim could give me a hand to get this on the bed."

Slim went over to where Jess lay and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey pard, Doc'll be here soon but we need to cover the bed with a waterproof sheet. Are you feelin' up to sittin' in the chair for a few minutes.?"

Jess had closed his eyes tightly against the nausea he was experiencing but at the sound of Slim's voice he opened them. "Yeah… Give me a hand will ya?" He struggled to a sitting position.

Daisy bustled quickly over with the waterproof sheet. "We won't be more than a minute or two Jess."

With Slim's assistance, Jess pulled himself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, pausing for a few minutes to get the nausea under control. He shifted unsteadily over to the chair and sat with his eyes and mouth tightly closed.

"You OK pard?" Jess's pallor had changed to a sickly grey.

Jess swallowed hard and opened his eyes. "I'll make it." He eyed the bowl on the nightstand. "Better keep that bowl handy though. I reckon I might just need it."

Daisy finished smoothing down the linen sheet she'd laid over the waterproof with William's help. "All right Jess, back onto that bed with you."

Rejecting Slim's help this time, Jess shifted back onto the bed and sank gratefully down, rolling over onto his back. He looked pale and drained. Daisy touched the back of her hand to his forehead. "Keep your hand raised a little longer if you can Jess."

Slim sat down beside the bed as Jess as obediently bent his arm at the elbow, and raised his hand in the air. "I'm sorry about the waterproof sheet Jess but Marjorie Ellis said we'd need to do it."

Jess shook his head. "Ain't nothin' to be sorry about Slim. She's right… you'll be glad of it before the night gets much older. I'll bet Robison ain't too happy about this."

"You leave Robison to me Jess. That reminds me… Daisy, Marjorie said to see Deirdre Robison and try to get some spare sheets and towels."

"That's already taken care of Slim." Daisy called from the other side of the room. "There's some extra bedding and towels in the adjoining room. Deirdre was only too willing to help and poor Mr Robison never got a chance to open his mouth to complain."

Getting up from his seat on the edge of the bed, Slim looked into the adjoining room. "Where's Mike…? I thought he was sleepin' in there, Daisy?"

Smoothing down the apron borrowed from Deirdre Robison, Daisy shook her head. "That was the plan but Mike is with Ben in the room adjoining Evie's. She's with the boys now but she'll be over once they're asleep. We thought we could take it in turns to get some sleep in Evie's room and then there would always be someone there in case the boys wake up. I thought it best to keep Mike out of the way. Once the cramps get started Jess isn't going to be too quiet and it would be far too upsetting for Mike to hear him. We have all the rooms on this side of the hallway and Evie's room is right at the end. Hopefully, we won't disturb the boys or any of the other guests. I think Doctor Ellis will want to stay here with Jess tonight and he can always take a rest in the next room."

A muscle twitched in Slim's jaw. This was sounding worse by the minute.

Daisy went back over to the bed. "Slim, if you and William will help Jess to get undressed and under the covers I'm sure he'll be more comfortable."

Jess muttered indignantly from the bed. "I don't need no help gettin' undressed."

Daisy ignored him. "You'll need to remove his underwear too."

Jess gave an indignant gasp and lowered his hand. "What? Aw Daisy… can't I even keep my underwear on?"

"I'm sorry Jess but you'll be far too uncomfortable, dear. You've been through this before. You know it'll just get soaked once you start to sweat and it'll be so much more difficult to remove when it's wet through."

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Jess resigned himself to the inevitable.

He looked so much like a sulking little boy that Daisy had to smother a laugh. She exchanged an amused glance with Slim. "Don't worry Jess. Evie and I will be sure to keep you covered and preserve your modesty." She moved away to the other side of the room knowing the young man would be embarrassed by her presence.

The door to the room opened and Frank came in with a large jug of iced water. He put it down on the table in the centre of the room. "Sorry I took my time Daisy. Mrs Robison insisted on gettin' some ice. She's bringin' up a bowl of cold water and some cloths in a few minutes."

"That's kind of her. We're going to need it. Jess is likely to be suffering from chills and fever at some point during the night. Has he finished undressing yet, William?"

"Just a few minutes more…" Slim grabbed up Jess's discarded undershorts and William pulled the covers quickly up over the now-naked young man. "OK Daisy, he's decent now."

"Well, how come I don't feel decent." Jess muttered darkly. "Ain't even got a nightshirt."

"You seem to have forgotten that you hate nightshirts Jess and you don't even own one. Anyway, we'd only have to keep changing that too." Daisy poured out a glass of water and took it over to the bedside. "Here, drink as much of this as you can."

Jess lay propped up against the pillows, exhausted by the process of stripping off his clothes. He glared at the glass of water and shook his head. "I can't Daisy… Not right now…"

Slim took the glass of water from Daisy and pulling a chair up beside the bed he sat down. "Come on Jess… You need to try and drink at least some of this. I know you don't feel you can keep it down but Marjorie said it's important that you drink plenty of water."

Taking the glass in his trembling left hand, Jess took a few sips of water before swallowing hard and handing the glass back. "I can't drink any more Slim…" He leaned his head back on the pillows, closing his eyes again.

Daisy placed the bowl from the night stand on the floor beside the chair Slim sat in. "Just in case…" she whispered quietly to Slim.

"I know I gotta drink Slim but I'm feelin' real sick right now and the pain's startin' to spread just about all over." Jess turned on his side and curled up miserably, shivering slightly. "Startin' to get cramps too." He was silent for several minutes while he fought a wave of nausea. "I gotta tell ya Slim, I'm real scared. That time I got bit before is why I hate spiders like I do. I thought I was gonna die. I got bit on the back of my hand and the pain was somethin' fierce. I got cramps all over, in my stomach too. I was sick as a horse, I sweated so much I soaked just about every bit of beddin' they could find for me, and I had trouble breathin' too. That was almost the worst thing of all. The pain in my chest got so bad I could hardly draw breath. I'd rather take a bullet any day."

It was totally unlike Jess to be so honest about how he was feeling. Slim placed the glass of water on the bedside table, searching in his mind for some words of comfort. "You know Jess… You probably weren't in good shape durin' the war. We all suffered one way or another. Not enough food to go round and what we did get was mostly bad… we were frozen and soaked in the middle of winter and exhausted from fightin' and lack of sleep." He pushed away the memory of those dark days. "You gotta be in better shape now than you were then so maybe it won't be as bad this time. I heard it's usually only kids, old people and the sick that have a real bad time."

Another cramp seized Jess and he screwed his face up at the pain. After a few minutes he looked up at his worried friend. "Yeah… You could be right Slim. I sure hope you are but I got bit twice this time and I reckon I got twice the trouble comin'."

William had retreated quietly to the other side of the room waiting for the chance to do something to help. Now he got up and drew Frank over to the door. "I can't just sit here like this Frank. If it wasn't for us, Jess wouldn't be in this fix. Someone set this up deliberately and I reckon we know who it was. The Sheriff's office was locked up when Slim came back from the Doc's. I'm goin' over to see if he's back yet. Maybe he can hold Zeke on suspicion."

"I'll come with you Pa."

"No Frank, you stay here and help Slim and Daisy as much as you can until I get back."

Frank nodded. "All right. You know Pa… I doubt Mort can hold Zeke on anythin' without evidence but maybe he can track down the old boy from the livery. He wasn't there when this happened but he might've seen someone earlier. Come to think of it, if he did see someone he could be in trouble right now. Best you let the Sheriff know about that too. I'll do what I can here."

William squeezed his arm and went quietly out the door. Frank heard him talking to someone and a few minutes later the door opened to admit a concerned looking Doc Ellis. Doc crossed quickly over to the bed and studied his patient for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting Jess. I had to finish stitching up just one more idiot to add to all the others I've had to see to today. Now, how on earth did you manage to get yourself bitten by a black widow? They're usually quite docile creatures. Shy and retiring in fact… You must have really upset her."

Slim got up and moved the chair away to allow Doc Ellis room on both sides of the bed. "He sure did Doc. Even managed to get himself bitten twice."

Doc tutted as he removed his hat and placed it on the nearby table with his medical bag. "I suppose I should have expected something like that from you Jess. I've never known you do anything by halves."

As the pain and nausea he was experiencing increased, Jess found himself starting to shiver uncontrollably. He turned onto his back to face Doc Ellis. "S-sorry Doc. I guess I've j-just made your n-night, huh?"

Doc Ellis sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's not your fault Jess. Now… which hand is it?"

"Right hand Doc… I g-got bit on two of my f-fingers. Someone s-slipped that dadgum spider into a leather pouch and left it hangin' over my s-saddle horn. I reckon she was already a m-mite put out before I s-stuck my hand in there." Jess's worried frown deepened. "Doc… I've been b-bit before and I didn't react t-too good."

Noting Jess's increasing discomfort, Doc Ellis called over to Daisy for another blanket and tucked it carefully around his patient. He checked his watch and then looked over at Slim. "So… Jess was bitten about an hour ago? Is that right Slim?"

"About that Doc." Slim concurred. "Add maybe another fifteen minutes to that."

Nodding, Doc Ellis turned his attention back to Jess. "How old were you the first time you got bitten Jess?"

"About 17 Doc. I was f-fightin' in the war…"

"Well that could explain the bad reaction. I don't suppose you were in as good shape physically as you are now.

Jess was encouraged by hearing Doc Ellis confirm Slim's comment but he was still anxious. "That's w-what Slim s-said… but I got b-bit twice this time, Doc."

Doc Ellis kept his thoughts about that to himself. No sense in making Jess any more anxious than he already was. "So how did you manage to get yourself bitten the first time Jess?"

"I was holed up in an old b-barn with a few m-men from my unit and I upset a female b-black widow. I didn't s-see the web and I m-mussed it up some spreadin' out my bedroll. She w-weren't none too happy about it and n-neither was I after she b-bit me."

Doc shook his head. "Never upset a female if you can help it Jess. Especially not a female black widow. Dry old barns and wood piles are typical places for those creatures. All right then… Let's have a look at the damage." He took hold of Jess's right hand holding it steady against the violent shivering. He turned it palm up and began to examine Jess's fingers. Both bites were surrounded by a circle of red and swollen skin and the pairs of tiny fang marks were still visible in the centre of each circle. Curiously, the skin within the circles was already sweating, beading up like condensation on the surface of cold glass. "Hmmm… Strange effect that." The old doctor studied Jess's pale face and then he touched the back of his hand to his forehead. "You seem to be a little feverish already Jess but the sweating is still limited to the immediate area of the bites. Are you feeling any anxiety?" Jess nodded. "Well I guess it's only natural to be feeling anxious in this situation especially when you know what to expect but I'm afraid anxiety is another symptom of a black widow bite. Just try and stay calm if you can."

If Jess hadn't been feeling so ill, he would've laughed. Try and stay calm…? Hell, I'd like to see Doc stay calm if it was him got bit.

Removing his stethoscope from his bag Doc Ellis began to check Jess's vital signs, chatting all the while to ease his patient's stress. "I read an interesting article on black widow bites not too long ago and I've treated a few in my time. I'm afraid there is not much that can be done to ease the unpleasant effects of the spider venom. It's very much a case of letting it take its course." Doc Ellis glanced at the nearly full glass of water on the bedside table. "There is one thing we can do though and that is to make sure you drink plenty of water and it isn't going to be a bit of help to you if it stays in the glass. You're going to have excessive sweating and pretty soon I'd say – but I suppose you already know about that and you should know too, Jess, that you cannot afford to get dehydrated." He reached for the glass and held it out, steadying the glass as Jess took it reluctantly in a shaking hand, forcing down a few sips. Doc nodded approvingly "That's better, young man… You don't have to drink it all down at once. Just keep taking sips whenever you can and when you do get sick, the chances are some of that water will have already been absorbed into your bloodstream. It is quite possible that having survived being bitten before, your body may have some immunity to the venom. Hopefully that will be the case but we'll just have to take it as it comes." Doc Ellis put away his stethoscope and turned his attention back to his patient. "All right Jess… Now where are these cramps you've been having, how frequent are they and how long is it taking them to peak before they begin to subside?"

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

Zeke and the two Yates brothers saddled up their horses and led them from the livery stable. They rode out of town, leaving Ethan to keep an eye on any developments. Ethan's own horse was hitched outside the saloon as usual and stood hipshot as he waited for his rider.

Ethan sat on an old wooden chair on the boardwalk outside the saloon, a glass of beer in his hand, ostensibly enjoying the night air. After a 15-minute wait, he saw Jess and his friends leave Molly's café and stand talking in the street for a few minutes. The two women and Mike crossed over the street and went back to the hotel accompanied by William Emerson carrying Zeke's son. For a moment Ethan thought the other three men were on their way to the saloon but he smiled to himself as they turned and strolled down the street in the direction of the livery stable. Jess always did like to go see his horse before retiring for the night. Ethan rocked slowly back and forth in his chair on the boardwalk and hoped the light in the livery stable was bright enough for one of them to notice the leather pouch hanging on Jess's saddle horn. They'd made sure the lantern would illuminate just the right spot and then turned it up to ensure it would be burning brightly if, and hopefully when, Jess checked on his beloved horse.

To Ethan's mind things were beginning to pan out very nicely. Cal hadn't left the saloon yet and the old boy hadn't noticed him pay for his beer and head back out the swing doors. Cal was getting old and Ethan thought he probably overestimated his ability to hold his drink or to reckon on the length of time he'd spent in the saloon. His smile widened. All the better… It'd just be the old boy's word against theirs and no one'd be able to prove a thing.

After keeping his eyes glued on the livery stable for what seemed like an age Ethan was rewarded for his vigilance by the sight of the three men emerging. Jess and Frank Emerson headed toward the hotel and Slim went down the street in the opposite direction toward Doc Ellis's surgery. Ethan wondered for a moment if maybe Sherman had been the one who'd investigated their little surprise but if that was the case, Harper wouldn't have left him to get to the Doc's on his own. They were close as brothers those two. He placed his empty beer glass on the boards at his feet and turned his attention back to the two men walking toward the hotel. He was gratified to see Jess stumble and grab hold of the hitching rail to steady himself. Ethan felt satisfied beyond all expectation as he saw Frank Emerson take hold of Jess's arm to help him up onto the boardwalk outside the hotel. Whatever else happened now, he'd got his payback. I reckon that little black spider might be one female that didn't take too kindly to Jess Harper…

The swing doors opened and closed as Cal emerged from the saloon and stepped a little unsteadily past Ethan's chair and onto the street. He made his way back to the livery stable totally oblivious to Ethan watching him. Some fifteen minutes later Ethan saw Slim Sherman leave the Doc's office on his own. He was carrying a large bundle but Ethan couldn't make out what it was from that distance. But where was the Doc? Sherman paused outside the Sheriff's office but the place was in darkness and he carried on to the hotel. As Sherman passed him Ethan got a closer look at what he was carrying. Rain slickers…? Now what in hell…? When, some twenty minutes later Doc left his office, black bag in hand and walked quickly to the hotel, Ethan stretched lazily and picking up his empty beer glass he stepped back through the swing doors into the saloon to order another beer.

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

Mort sat bolt upright as William explained what had happened. "He did what…? Why, that no good…" Mort got up from behind his desk and walked over to the window looking out briefly before turning back to William. "I suppose we're jumping to conclusions here but Zeke is the most likely culprit after what happened earlier. And you say Cal wasn't in the livery when they got over there?" William nodded in confirmation. "I'm going over there now. I want to make sure Cal's back and that he's all right and I also want to get to the bottom of this. Are you going back to the hotel William?"

"I reckon I'm just in the way at the hotel and I'm pretty sure Jess could do with one less person around him right now. If you've no objections Sheriff, I'd like to tag along with you."

Mort clapped a hand on his back. "Good man… and the name's Mort. Let's go and find out what this is all about."

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

Mort locked the door of the jailhouse and the two men crossed over to the livery stable. The door was bolted shut and Mort hammered on it until Cal slid the door open and stood there in his union suit blinking sleepily.

"Whadd'ya want Sheriff? I was just settlin' down fer the night."

"I think we'd best discuss this inside Cal, if you don't mind." Mort indicated the interior of the livery stable and Cal stepped aside as the Sheriff and William stepped through the doorway.

Cal slid the big door shut and turned to Mort. "What's this all about?"

Mort took a quick glance around the stable before bringing his attention back to Cal. "Where'd you get to at around 9:30 tonight Cal? When William's son came in with Slim and Jess to check on their horses the livery stable was unattended. Someone'd been monkeying around with Jess's gear and he's been hurt. I need to know what happened Cal. I can't promise you won't get into any trouble over this but I need you to tell me what you know."

Cal hung his head and looked sheepish. He shuffled over to his makeshift bunk and sat down heavily. The two men followed him and stood waiting.

"I knew it'd get me into trouble. First time I ever done it, too. There's been three men in town I ain't never seen in Laramie before. They've been here a coupla weeks now. I've been lookin' after their horses. They seemed OK. Hadn't caused any trouble that I knew of. They came in around 9 o'clock. That Ethan Judd was with 'em. Wanted to spend some time with their horses they said. I thought it was a bit strange. They ain't ever bothered before. Ethan bein' there was even stranger, 'cos he don't ever put his horse up at the livery but I've seen him with 'em a coupla times so I reckoned he'd just tagged along." He looked up at Mort hoping the Sheriff wouldn't ask any more questions.

Mort wasn't anywhere near satisfied. "That's a start Cal. Now let's have the rest of it. Where were you when Slim and Jess came in with William's son?"

Cal grimaced. "Well… It's been pretty hot ya know and I was a mite dry when them fellers came in. They was real nice… said they'd look after the place 'til I got back, so I went over to the saloon to have a beer. I weren't gone that long but when I got back the place was deserted, 'cept for the horses. The door was shut same way I'd left it… I checked round the place and everythin' seemed OK, 'cept someone'd moved the lantern and it was turned up way too high. Their horses was gone though and I knew all the other horses was here for the night, so I locked up."

Mort shook his head. "Well they aren't as nice as they seem Cal. For a start one of those nice fellas, Zeke Patterson, has been bad-mouthing Jess for the last couple of weeks. Surely, you've heard the rumours he's been spreadin' around?"

Cal looked shocked. "I ain't heard no rumours. Don't get over the saloon much these days."

"There was a bit of a dust up between Jess and Zeke Patterson at the dance tonight over what Patterson's been sayin' and he threatened to get even with Jess." Mort fixed the old man with a stern glare. "You didn't hear about that either I suppose?"

Shaking his head miserably, Cal looked up at Mort. "I wouldn'ta left 'em here if I'd known. What'd they do to Jess?"

The old man was looking so distressed Mort almost felt sorry for him. "I haven't had the chance to talk to them yet but it seems pretty likely it was one of those three that managed to get a female black widow into a leather pouch and hang it on Jess's saddle. Jess came along and looked in the pouch to see if he could find out who it belonged to and got himself bitten… twice… Whoever it was couldn't have done that if you'd been here doin' your job."

Cal shook his head sadly. "I'm real sorry Sheriff." Cal liked Jess a lot. The young rancher always had time for a chat with him. "I had no idea they was gonna get up to mischief. How is Jess?"

"Mischief, Cal?" Mort shook his head. "You call what happened here tonight mischief? Well I'll tell ya… Jess is real sick and there isn't any guarantee he'll come through this. We could be lookin' at a murder charge here. I don't think there's any way I can keep you out of this. You'll have to stand witness in Court if Jess presses charges."

Cal slumped miserably against the boards behind his bunk. "Oh, dear God what've I done? Heaven help young Jess…"

Mort and William walked out into the night leaving the old man to his self-recrimination. Further investigation proved fruitless except that Ben Dooley himself confirmed in a rather aggrieved tone that although the three men hadn't yet returned to their rooms, all their things were still there.

"Well I'm afraid that's it for tonight William. There's nothin' more I can do until mornin'. They left their things here so they must intend to return. I'll keep an eye out for 'em. The only thing I have on those three is circumstantial evidence: the fight with Jess, Patterson's public threat and the presence of those three in the livery stable, although as they persuaded Cal to leave them a clear field by sending him out to have a beer, that's enough for me to hold them on suspicion. But despite what I said to Cal about standing witness in Court, I doubt it'll come to that. There were no witnesses to whoever hung that pouch on Jess's saddle horn and anyone could've been in there at any time and slipped that pouch on Jess's saddle while Cal was busy. It's a large livery stable and Cal's not likely to take much notice of someone coming in to check on his horse. I guess Patterson isn't the only one in Laramie to hold a grudge against Jess. I'll come over to the hotel with you and see how he's holdin' up."

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

When Mort and William returned to the hotel Evie was by the bed with Daisy. Jess lay curled on his side, arms clasped around his abdomen, shivering miserably as he was wracked with random spasms and chills. He complained that he couldn't get warm but his face and upper body were running with rivulets of sweat. The second waterproof cover had been laid over the top sheet to keep the bed quilt dry. Jess was far too sick now to worry about his nakedness as Daisy and Evie mopped the sweat from his upper body with towels but despite the efforts of the two women, the sheets beneath Jess as well as the top sheet were soaked through and in need of changing.

Mort stayed for a few minutes talking to Doc Ellis but he was soon shooed away by Doc who considered the room was becoming too crowded. The last thing his patient needed was an audience to his suffering.

After helping move Jess while the two women dried off the waterproof cover and laid dry sheets over it, William asked where Frank and Slim had got to.

Daisy looked up as she tried to get Jess to take some water. "Frank's getting some sleep in Evie's room. He'll hear if the boys wake up so why don't you go and get some rest in your own room. We can manage here with Doctor Ellis, and Slim is right next door." Daisy indicated the closed door of the adjoining room. "One of you three can take over later. Doctor Ellis will be staying the night here in case we need him."

William nodded his agreement. "I suppose that's best. I hate to see Jess this way. I feel so responsible…"

"It isn't your fault Pa." Evie told him. "It's the fault of that no-good Zeke Patterson. Who else would've done this? Now go on and get some rest. We'll need you later on."

As William left the room an anguished groan from Jess heralded the onset of yet another cycle of stomach cramps. In the first hour after being bitten Jess had suffered nausea and sickness, and a dull muscle pain which spread gradually from the bite areas to his entire body. Soon after that, minor cramps, chills and sweating had begun and then, when the worst of the muscle pain had centred itself in his diaphragm and chest, the headache which had been gradually worsening became more than Jess thought he could bear and he was unable to stand any light in his eyes. His muscles felt weak when they weren't cramping and he was becoming increasingly restless. Finally, the painful stomach spasms which Jess remembered from the first time he'd been bitten had begun, though mercifully without the same breathing difficulties.

The first spasms had lasted for just a few seconds before relaxing and then the cycle would begin again after ten minutes or so but as the night wore on the frequency increased until the cycle lengthened to thirty seconds of cramping followed by a thirty second respite. By this time, Jess was making only a feeble attempt to stifle his reaction and was devoid of any feelings of remorse when Robison knocked on the room door halfway through the night to protest. The fact that neither his wife nor any of his guests had been disturbed hadn't deterred the hotel owner. Doc suspected him of listening outside the door and sent him away with a stiff lecture. They heard no more from the self-righteously indignant hotel owner for the rest of the night.