Chapter 17

Night fell, bringing with it the cold as the last rays of the sun slipped below the horizion. Missie shivered as she woke to the darkness of night and grimaced with pain when she went to sit up. She finally managed to sit upright, breathing through the pain for a moment then reached for her canteen. She savoured the mouthful of water, wiping the drops from around her lips onto her cheeks. How could her skin feel so hot yet she feel so cold at the same time?

She swished the water in the canteen and listened before she put the lid back on. Even drinking sparingly she only had a quarter left at her best guess. She had to find water and soon. Her food was gone too and her stomach reminded her of that fact. Inbetween sleeping she'd drunk and ate to keep her strength up but now she was close to running out of provisions. Food she didn't care about, water, water was what she needed and soon.

Rising unsteadily to her feet she took a sharp intake of air and tried not to cry out in pain. It hurt! It really hurt. Everywhere hurt, her muscles aching from the beating and lying on the ground not to mention the wounds. She stood for a moment in a daze then picked up the canteen and started walking….

She walked on and on and on, trying to find water somewhere in the dry and barren terrain. Thoughts of the men capturing her were the least of her problems if she didn't find water and soon. No longer did she care about leaving tracks, she couldn't have done anything about the bloody trail if she wanted too. Every sharp rock she stood on cut her already swollen and bruised feet further and with it leaving a nice trail of blood behind. She wasn't aware of the trail she left however as she forced herself on, dazed and confused from pain and heat exhaustion.

The girl trudged on through the night, her pace slowed to a limping walk. The run the night before hadn't done any wonders for the muscles still healing in her leg and that was slowing her further. Water, must find water. The urgent thought kept playing through her mind over and over with a sense of desperation to accompany it. Had she been of sound mind she would have been able to find it with ease but she wasn't. She didn't know where she was going or what direction, only that she had to find water.

She stumbled on through the night without knowing where she was going or where she was headed. She was going further and further into the rough country, stumbling up and down the shaley inclines. Water, find water. The urgent words spoken in her mind kept her feet moving forward. Water, need water.

Night soon gave way to day once more, the sun rising on the horizon. She looked up at it as she drank the last remaining drops from her canteen. With the sun came heat and thirst, the girl now without water to sooth her dried throat and cracked lips. Dropping the canteen to hang around her neck she forced herself to place one foot infront of the other, her thoughts as blurred as her vision was becoming. Find water. Water.

Adam was kneeling beside the fire as his father tacked the horses up, absent mindedly swirling the last of his coffee around in his mug. He hadn't had much sleep the night before and it showed in his face. Worry and exhaustion were the expression of the morning as he stared into the flames of the fire. It was going on the third day since the girl had been kidnapped from the ranch house, the events leading up to the event playing over in his mind. He knew Missie had only been playing when she put the pudding on his face but yet he'd let his emotions get the best of him. He'd been so absorbed in his worry about the girls situation he'd taken his frustration out on her rather then joking along with her. Yet, she'd still told the boy he was her favorite. He really couldn't figure her out-

Ben glanced over at his son, concern evident in his own gaze. Something was troubling him, he could tell it was. 'You bout ready to head out? I'm almost done here.'

'Yeah Pa.' He tipped the rest of his coffee out on the fire and extinguished the remaining coals. Standing up he went over to the horses and placed the pot and mug back in the saddlebags. 'Filled the canteens?'

'First thing this morning.' Untying the reins he placed them over his horses neck and mounted then waited for his son to be ready.

'Which way are we going?'

'Back to where we last had her trail I guess, hopefully we can find something more to go on.'

'Let's hope.' He replied soberly as he mounted Sport, the gelding tossing his head with impatience. The sun was just starting to rise as the two riders headed out of camp once more in search of the girl. The odds weren't in their favor, he knew that but deep inside there was a small flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, they might find her in time. Hold on Missie, just hold on. We're coming.

Missie looked up wearily at the sun, her body no longer drenched in sweat as she reached a dangerous point of dehydration. She'd been walking for hours, hours upon hours on the rocky and hard ground. Water- Her mind was starting to play tricks on her she was that deliours with pain and fever. Up ahead she could see something shinning in the distance. A lake. A lake full of water. She willed herself to go faster, faster to reach the lake. She was close, so close-

Has the girl not been out of her mind with fever she might have noticed two riders approaching on the horizon to the left of her. She didn't see them though, didn't see or hear them as she forced one weary foot in front of the other. She didn't see she was walking right up a steep incline with an even steeper decent. All she could think of was water, of getting a drink to sooth her dried throat.

Water- It was so close now it was right infront of her. She reached out to touch it, the waters edge receding from her. No, no, she needed the water. Where was it going? She stumbled forward again, chasing after the mirage. It was right there, why couldn't she reach it- She sank forward, reaching out for the water present only in her mind as she collaped, slipping on the loose rocks. Her momentum carried her on down the hill, the girl making no attempt to break her fall as she slid down to the ground below-

Ben carefully looked over the surrounding landscape as he wiped his brow with his neckcerchrif. He'd been right in assuming the girl had gone on into the drylands, it was as dry and as hot as a desert without the sand down on the rocky plains. There wasn't a tree or shade in sight and water was just as non existent. So far they'd ridden in about five miles by his estimate, another ten from the last watering hole for miles around. He looked around again then took the canteen from off the front of his saddle and took a sip. Thankfully between them they had two canteens each, taking them from the men of the girls fathers camp. They had no use for them now and it was providential they had the extra water. He looked back down at his son kneeling beside his horse to survey some blood they'd found. Adam had barely spoken a word the whole morning, instead carrying an air of grim determination about him.

'It can't be any less then a couple hours old.' He finally came to the conclusion as he stood and mounted his horse again. It was times like these he wished for Hoss. His brother could see a trail better then any man he knew, it was as second nature to him as eating. 'She's slowing down, it looks like she had taken bit of a fall here.'

'Let's hope she's stoped. The further she goes on the further she is from water.' He exclaimed, following on behind his son. They'd found where she'd spent the night earlier that morning, the girl leaving a cloth and leather string behind with some blood soaked into the ground. The boy had said she'd had food and water but it had to be running low now if not out completely, especially the water in this heat. They'd ridden the horses as hard as they'd dared trying to catch up to her. That girl had determination and grit, he'd grant her that. Grown men would have given up before she had yet it appeared she was still going on.

Adam kept glancing at the ground as they rode on, watching for more signs. The girl had been leaving quite a trail of blood behind if you were looking for it and he wondered how badly she was hurt. The boy said she'd been beaten and whipped, surely that wasnt the source of the blood trail they were following. Nevermind, it didn't matter how it was being left only that they found her.

He urged his horse on faster as the terrain leveled out some, eyes still watching the ground. Where are you Missie? He wondered as time passed on. Come on.

'We better rest the horses.' Ben exclaimed and his son nodded as they pulled the horses to a stop. 'You think we're gaining on her?'

'We have to be.' He replied, hearing his father taking a drink again from his canteen as he surveyed the landscape. It was baren, empty. Some blanched bones were visible in the distance to the left of him, a testament to the harsness of the climate. Something moved in the distance up on a ridge, probably a bird or something- His eyes darted back to the object. Could it be? 'Pa-' He nudged his father's shoulder to catch his attention, interrupting his drink as he pointed up to the ridge. 'Look.'

Ben looked, hope filling his heart but tried not to be too hopeful least it turn out to be nothing. 'Let's check it out.' He put the cork back in and hung the canteen down off the saddle horn again. 'Let's go.'

Both horses surged forward at the touch of heels in their sides, the men urging them on over the hard ground. The object was moving, they could see that as they got closer. It was moving towards the drop off- Adam squinted, focusing hard. He could just faintly make out that it was a person. A person dressed in white with brown hair and that person was walking straight towards the steep decent. 'Missie! Missie!' It was no good, she couldn't hear him. Come on Sport. He nudged him harder with his heels, asking for more speed and his gelding responded, flattening his ears against his head as he sped up. Come on.

The girl reached the peak then stumbled, her body sliding and rolling down the decent to the bottom of the ridge. Missie! Neither of them spoke, both asking their horses to give everything they had. They came to where she landed, their horses sliding to a stop as they halted them and vaulted off. Adam was first to reach the girl, falling to his knees beside her to fell her wrist for a pulse. Come on, come on- yes! 'She's alive.'

Ben hurried over with canteen in hand, kneeling down beside the child. 'Good Lord-' Her face was swollen and bruised, her lips so cracked they were bleeding and her cheeks raw with rope burns. That was hardly the extent of her injuries though, speechless as his eyes looked over her still body. Oh my-

'Missie, Missie-' Adam exclaimed urgently to her, trying to wake the girl with a light slap to her cheek. 'Come on Missie, you need to wake up.' Her eyelids fluttered for a moment then were still again and he tried again. 'Come on Missie, you can do it. Come on.'

A-Adam? She could hear someone faintly calling her through the fog, knowing that voice and tried to focus on it. Was he really there or was she imagining things? It must be the heat, it must be a trick of her imagination. He couldn't be here, could he? 'Missie!' She heard it call again then felt something touch her cheek. Pain radiated through her from the touch on her bruised skin, maybe it wasn't a dream after all. 'Come on Missie. Please.'

'Adam-' Ben placed his hand on his son's shoulder, the girl appearing as still as when they'd got to her. 'I don't think she's going to wake up anytime soon.'

He looked away from the girl for a moment, fighting to control his emotions. This was his fault, all his fault. He should have known something like this would have happened when she'd identified that man. He should have done something, anything. Had someone stay in her room or lock her window, something, anything. The poor child appeared worse then she had when he'd seen her for the first time caught in that trap. 'What on earth did they do to you?' He spoke after a moment, his voice breaking with pain and anger. 'Oh Missie I'm sorry.'

He wondered what his son was apologizing for, Adam turning away from him and he looked back at the girl. Her eyelids fluttered again and he held his breath. 'Come on Missie, you've got to wake up now.' He encouraged gently and after a moment her eyes started to open and he reached for his sons shoulder. 'Adam.'

'W-wat...er.'

Adam spun around, looking down at the girl as she gazed up at him. His father was already opening the canteen and he lifted her head as he held it to her lips. 'Easy now, easy Missie.'

'Take it slow.' Ben added, taking the canteen away for a moment. The girl tried to reach for it when he took it away and he brought it back to her lips. 'It's not going anywhere, we just don't want you to choke. Slowly. That's it.

Missie didn't know if she was dreaming or not as the water trickled down her throat but if she was she knew she didn't want to wake. She kept drinking, swallowing as fast as she could. She was so thirsty, so extremely thirsty.

Adam watched her with sympathetic eyes as the girl gulped down the water. She was so thirsty and hot, he could guess she'd been like this for sometime. His father took it away again when it was half empty, this time placing it aside. The girl looked up, her eyes trying to focus on him as her hand tried to clutch his. He took hold of her hand, stroaking her skin with his thumb. 'Your okay Missie, your going to be alright.'

'We need to get her out of here.' Ben declared as the girl closed her eyes again. He touched her forehead, her skin much too hot and way too dry. Without sweating her body's temperature would just keep rising and he knew she was already severely dehydrated. In her condition he knew she shouldn't be moved but staying in this baren wasteland wasn't an option either. 'We'll head back to the watering hole and set up camp.'

Adam nodded, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and wet it to place on her forehead. 'I'll take her.'

'Easy then-' He picked her up carefully as Adam went back to his horse to mount, the girl lying limply in his arms. Her head resting on his shoulder he took her to Adam, passing her up to him as gently as he could. 'Your going to be alright now Missie, we're getting you out of her.'

The girl could hardly hear him or have the strength to reply but she tried to nod that she understood. Was she in a dream? Was she just imagining them coming to save her?

'Easy now Missie.' Adam consoled gently when she flinched from him placing his arm around her. His father mouned his horse and they started back to the watering hole. The girls eyes flickered open for a moment when she was jolted by Sport stumbling, looking up at him. Their eyes met, her gaze near breaking his heart. He could see the pain in her eyes, not just the physical pain she was experiencing but the emotional pain too. 'It's alright, your safe now. We'll look after you. I'm here now.' She nodded, her eyes closing again and he turned his attention to guiding his horse on after his father's. They'd found the child but he had a feeling things weren't over just yet for the girl.

They rode on, stopping occasionally to give the girl a moment to rest and a drink. They were moving slow but steady with the hot sun starting to go down as the day slipped into late afternoon. Adam glanced down at the girl, she was sleeping again but even in sleep he could see the pain she was in expressed on her face. There was nothing they could do for her though until they were in camp. If they stopped out here without water they'd be signing their own death sentence.

The landscape slowly began to change as they came back out of the drylands and into prarie country. They tried to hurry the pace a little faster so they'd get to camp sooner and the girl could rest. Missie needed to rest, Adam didnt like how pale and weak she looked but they had to reach the waterhole before they could stop. Two canteens were already empty, a third on its way to being out aswell. Neither of them had taken any water for themselves since finding her, both of them giving their share to her. She needed it more then they did.

'Not much further now, we should be there shortly.' Ben exclaimed, recognizing the scenery they were riding through. 'How's she doing?'

'Holding her own Pa.' His arm had long since gone numb with her dead weight lying on it and he had to drop the reins to fix how he was holding her. He checked her forehead once more, Sport happy to follow Buck without him needing to be guided for the moment. She was still too warm and not sweating either. She really was badly dehydrated. 'Be better once she's off this horse.'

They continued on, the small creek becoming visible at last and they came to a stop where they'd made camp the night before. Ben dismounted first, rolling out his bedroll to place the girl on then gently took her from Adam. She stirred, almost panicking for a moment but he quickly calmed her. 'It's alright Missie, its just me. We're at camp now. You'll be able to lie down soon.'

'No-' She whispered softly as he carried her. She couldn't lie on her back, it hurt too much. 'Hurts.'

Ben frowned and sat her down instead, Adam kneeling beside her to keep her upright and it only took a moment to see why she'd protested. The girls back had been torn to ribbons by whatever her father had used to beat her with. He looked at Adam, his son's expression of barely keeping his temper at bay matching his own. Whoever had done this to her was going to pay, he'd make certain of that. 'I see it Missie. You just rest easy with Adam and I'm going to get some water boiled so we can clean you up.'

'Water?'

'Here-' Adam picked up the canteen he'd carried over and opened it for her. He held it to her lips, the girl drinking greedily again until he took it away. He placed it aside as his father made short work of gathering wood for a fire. The girls back was covered with dried blood, dirt and with what remained of the nightgown she was wearing crusted to her wounds. He was angry seeing her in the condition she was in, extremely angry. He'd seen his fair share of abhorrent things but the way the girl had been beaten took the cake. 'Missie, who did this to you?'

'My father.' She murmured, her eyes closed as she rested against him, thankful for the feel of his arm around her shoulder. She was safe, Adam would keep her safe- 'Please, don't let him know I'm alive.' Her voice was raspy from her dried throat and it was hard to speak but the tone of urgency was evident. 'Please-please don't let him hurt me again.'

Adam glanced at his father as he lit the fire, his father having heard their exchange. If he had his way that man wouldn't live to see another day with the way he'd treated her but the first matter of business was taking care of Missie. 'I promise Missie, we won't let anything happen to you again. Pa will make sure your father will never touch you again.'

'Thank you.'

Ben came back over and started thoroughly assessing the girls injuries. 'I've got the water on to boil, we're going to need to clean your wounds honey and get your temperature down, okay?' She nodded, closing her eyes again. 'I'll try to be gentle but I can't promise it won't hurt. It needs to be done though and after that we'll let you sleep.'

'We're not going to have enough supplies to tend to her properly here Pa.' Adam exclaimed after a moment of him thinking over what they had on them. 'We really need to get her home.'

He shook his head. 'She's too weak Adam, she can't ride all the way back, even carried in front of you on the saddle. I know she needs a doctor too but until she's stronger I don't think we should risk it. Getting her to here was hard enough on her as it was.'

'What if one of us were to ride back and get a wagon? We could get Paul to come with us to tend to her.'

'I'll think on that Adam. I don't really want to have us get split up.'

'I don't think we're going to get much choice in the matter.'

'No, I don't either.' He sighed, looking over at the water and got up to check it. It was warm enough now, not too hot but warm enough to get the job done. He brought the water back with him, grabbing a cloth from the saddlebags after he'd knelt beside her again. 'Alright Missie, I'm going to start with your back now. I'll get it done as quickly as possible.'

Missie nodded, listening to Adam's heartbeat to gain strength from as she felt the first warm drops of water seep through her nightgown. She could feel him wetting the material thoroughly, guessing he was doing that so it'd be easier to get it off her wounds. She shivered, she was so cold and the water was making her colder. That didn't make sense though because she could feel how hot her skin was. She felt him undoing what buttons remaind on her nightgown then bit her lip as he started to peal the material from her wounds.

'Your doing great Missie.' Adam encouraged softly, watching his father work as he held her. She whimpered softly, the sound reminding him of a fawn he'd found one caught in a fence that he'd helped free. 'It'll be over soon.'

Ben worked slowly but steadily and as gently as he could but he knew the girl was in pain. Her soft whimpers hadn't gone unnoticed but he blocked them from his mind to get the task at hand finished. He couldn't even count how many wounds the girl had on her back, she hadn't been whipped, she'd been flogged. There was hardly an inch of skin left on her back, some of her wounds wrapping around her side's and a couple reaching her stomach. He had no words to express how he felt tending to her, only a silent rage against the man who'd done this to her. How could someone do this to a child, let alone his own daughter? It was just sickening, seeing the evidence of what he'd put her through.

Finally after some time he'd managed to get the material off her wounds and slipped her nightgown forward to rest on her shoulders. Most of the wounds had started bleeding again from being disturbed and while it wasn't good she was losing more blood at least it was helping to wash the dirt out of her wounds. Gently now he began to wash them with the water, cleaning them as best he could. There wasn't much more they could do except keep the wounds clean. They hadn't the supplies to be able to care for her properly. He kept cleaning the wounds until he was satisfied there wasn't any more he could do. Now the problem was keeping them clean. The girls nightgown was a bloodied mess, she couldn't have that stay on her. They hadn't brought any extra clothes though, only their jackets and that would be too heavy it'd press against her wounds. 'You didn't happen to pack any spare shirts did you son?'

'As a matter of fact I did, incase we ran into any pretty ladies on the trail-' The girl chuckled a little, her eyes still closed however. At least she was able to pay attention to their conversation, the girl still conscious for now. 'A man has to look his best for the ladies, you know that Missie.' He glanced back to his father. 'It's in the bottom of my saddlebag.'

'I'll go grab it.'

'I owe you a shirt then.'

'No, don't worry about it.' He replied to the girls concerned mumbling. 'Just get better, that's all I care about. A shirt is easy replaced.'

'I thought he was going to kill me-' She murmured on, opening her eyes again. 'I wasn't scared though, I knew I'd get away and you'd find me.'

Maybe if he'd been a little more careful none of this would have happened in the first place he reasoned once more. 'We were lucky to find you.'

'Water, had to find water.'

Ben returned with the shirt, kneeling down beside the girl as she drifted off to sleep again. 'We'll get her out of that bloody rag then let her rest for a bit before we do her feet.' His son nodded, helping his father get the nightgown off the girl. Casting it aside he had a look over her chest while she was napping. She was covered in bruises, one particularly nasty looking one just under her ribcage. Without even counting her other injuries it was easy to see at just a glance she'd been put through hell. In a normal situation neither of them would be looking at a unclothed girl but under the circumstances there was nothing they could do about that. After he'd finished looking over the rest of her injuries they carefully put the shirt on her then laid her down on her side.

They stepped away to take care of finishing preparing camp and to tend to the horses, neither of them speaking yet. Both of them were abhored at the state the girl was in and when they got back to Virginia City a talk with the Sheriff was in order. Her father would pay for what he put her through.

It didn't take long before the horses were settled for the night and camp organised, Ben and Adam sitting together at the fire while she slept. 'She's lucky to be alive.'

'She's strong, that's for sure.' Adam replied softly with admiration in his voice. 'Took a beating like that and still managed to run almost fiften miles.'

'You'd be running as far away as you could if someone treated you like that and you had the chance to run. Anyone would. Not many people would make it that far though.' He checked the coffee in the pot, still not quite hot enough yet. 'What-what gives someone the right to beat another human being like that? Let alone a father beating his own daughter.'

'It won't happen again if I've any say about it. Her father's lucky we didn't turn up while he was beating her, he wouldn't have lived long enough to face trial.'

'I'll be making sure his sentance is to the full extent. Roy won't have a problem adding this to his list of charges. Unfortunately a man only hangs once.'

'Hanging is almost too good for him.' He spat out angrily. 'He doesn't have to live with the consequences not like she'll have to.'

'He'll receive his reward, just as everyone has to face the supreme judgement day before God. He'll get his due in this life and the next.'

'How could anyone even beat a child like that?'

'I don't know.' Ben replied after a moment. 'I've asked myself that same question when we first found out she'd been whipped before. A man who doesn't control his temper and takes it out on those who can't fight back isn't a man at all. He's just a poor excuse for a human being.'

'I couldn't agree more.' He looked back at the girl. 'What are we going to do with her? We can't look after her out here.'

'I'll ride out at first light for Virginia City, I thought it best you stay with her since she's most comfortable with you. You think you can handle it?'

'I'll manage.' He didn't have much of a choice. The girl was still wary of his father and him too aswell though she did seem more comfortable with him. Not that he could blame her for that either with how she'd been treated.

'Until the doc gets here we can only try to keep her wounds clean and the fever down.' He checked the coffee, it still wasn't ready yet so he stood up and went to check the girl. She was still asleep, the poor child worn out past the point of exhaustion. He touched her forehead gently, her skin was still hot with fever. 'Pass me the water Adam.' He picked up the girls nightgown as his son brought it over, tearing the clean parts of it into cloths to use to cool her down. Wetting them thoroughly he took the dried one from of her neck and replaced it then put another on her forehead. He placed a couple on her chest under the shirt too then turned his attention to her feet. Adam had knelt down beside the girl again, whimpering with her eyes opening again when he touched her feet. 'Sorry Missie I'll try to be gentle.'

'It won't take long.' He soothed softly while he stroked her hair with one hand and held onto her hand with the other. 'Your doing just fine.'

Ben's frown deepened the more dirt and blood he wiped off her feet. They were terribly cut up and swollen, some of the cuts rather quite deep. He tried to clean the wounds as best he could but knew if they deeper ones weren't disinfected they'd cause a world of trouble with infection later on down the line. He finished washing her feet then grabbed the saddlebags and took out a small flask of whisky they carried for emergencies. There wasn't enough to wash all the wounds she had but it was all they had to tend to the really deep ones. 'You might want to hold her Adam, she's got some really nasty gashes here.'

He saw the flask of whisky in his father's hand and nodded, gently taking the girl into his arms. She opened her eyes again, frowning a little at being disturbed. 'It's alright, Pa just needs to finish cleaning your feet. It's going to sting for a bit but it'll be over soon, promise.'

'I trust you.' She replied simply, too exhausted to complain or protest. She closed her eyes again as Adam began to hum a song then flinched as she felt the burn of something on her feet. It burnt. All the way from her toes to the top of her head. She clenched her fists together, focusing on the sound of his humming to ignore the fire in her feet.

Ben washed the deepest wounds as thoroughly as he could then rinsed them out one last time with the water. He didn't have much medical supplies at his disposal but he grabbed what bandages and dressings he had and set to work. The girls back, while painful, was just too much to treat with what little he had. They weren't as deep as some of the cuts she had on her feet, deep cuts were more concerning since there was the threat of lockjaw with them. It was a matter of choosing what was in most need of attention with what he had. He wished he had enough to look after her properly but if wishes were horses beggers would ride. He had just enough to wrap both feet up, turning his attention to her legs once he'd finished. They were scratched and considerably but didn't look too bad and a quick clean with some water took care of that. 'Alright Missie, all done.'

'You hear that Missie? Pa's all finished now, you can get some rest.' The girl nodded wearily, not protesting at all as he laid her back down and wet the rags again. His father placed the blanket over her to stop her from getting a chill in the evening breeze and he looked around as he stood up. There were still a couple hours before dark, enough time to at least get a proper shelter fixed up if they were to be there for a few days. 'How long do you think it'll take for you to get to Virginia City and back?'

'A day there, a day, maybe two getting back.' Ben replied, adding a couple branches to the fire. 'What are you thinking son?'

'I'm thinking that ground isn't the most comfortable for her in her condition.' He glanced back at the girl, Missie sleeping again from exhaustion. 'If we're going to be here for a few days, which it looks like we will be, I was going to build a proper shelter for her. Fix it up so she's off the ground but protected from the elements aswell. Besides, it'll give me something to do other then stew over her father.'

'That sounds like a good idea son-' He parted him on the shoulder. 'Lets get to work.'

A couple hours later and they looked at what they'd built in satisfaction. A simple three sided lean-to with a hammock made from Adam's bedroll to keep the girl off the ground. It wasn't fancy but it was practical. It was built close to the fire so the girl didn't get a chill from the cold and catch pneumonia while fighting fever and heat exhaustion. It had a mat bed made from more branches nearby so Adam could share the shelter with her and be close by to take care of her.

Adam went back to Missie now that they'd finished, checking the girls fever again. She was still feverish, still asleep too and he knew that's what she needed. Gently he picked her up and carried her to the shelter, lying her carefully on her side in the hammock. His father brought the blanket over, tucking it tightly around her. 'This'll have to do for now.'

'We got it finished in good time.' He glanced up at the sky, the sun sinking behind the horizon. 'I'll leave everything I've got except one canteen, I'll be quicker without the extra stuff weighing me down.'

'Are you sure Pa-'

'You and Missie will need what is here more then I will. I'll be in Virginia City tomorrow night, you'll still be here.' He looked back at the girl. 'I don't like leaving you out here alone but she needs a doctor.'

'I can take care of myself Pa, we'll be fine till you get back.'

'I know son.' He walked out from under the shelter, bringing over some more water to wet the cloths on the girl. 'It's more Missie I'm worried about.'