Jim and I rode on for a long time. I purposely made our route lengthy in
order to shake anyone who might've tried to follow our escape. Finally we
made it to a clearing in the woods about ten miles north of town. I looked
around but the trees seemed undisturbed.
"Where are they?" Jim asked voicing my concern. He slipped off of Jett's back and whistled, sounding an awful lot like a bird. To our right we heard a rustling sound and whipped around. Cole peered out from the underbrush at us.
"Cole!" Jim cried as he pelted towards him. Cole grabbed him into a tight hug. I also jumped from Jett, aching to hold him close to me as well.
"I don't know what to say," I breathed into his shoulder feeling tears well up. "You put your life on the line to protect me." I squeezed him extra hard at that. I felt his arm move up onto my shoulder and push me back so I stood at arms length. He stared intensely into my eyes.
"And you just did the same thing for me. So we're even ok?" He smiled and pulled me back into his chest, squeezing the daylights out of Jim and me. From behind I heard another rustle in the bushes.
"Hey," Came the voice of Tom. "You guys better get back here." I turned to the bushes and followed the Indian into the brush, Cole and Jim close behind. Pushing the last branch out of my way I found myself staring at the limp body of Jesse, prostrated on the dry earth. A dark circle of blood was pooling around his left shoulder. I felt my stomach roll over and a sick feeling swept through my entire being. I fell onto my knees beside him. I wanted to cry, scream and vomit all at once.
"He's alive." Tom quickly reassured me. "But he's weak and losing blood fast, I need help." At that I pushed all of my qualms to the side. I had to be calm and help Jesse; it was all I could do.
"Jim, give my your coat." I directed
"What for?" He asked as he started to take it off.
"To put under his head. And here." I ripped off a portion of my petticoat and handed it to Tom. " Tie this around the wound it'll help stop the bleeding." I sat close to Jesse's head and pushed the hair out of his eyes as the boys complied with my requests.
"What now?" Jim asked looking at me with concern. I tried to avoid his gaze. I knew one glance and that twin connection would allow him to know everything I felt about Jesse. Instead I pretended to be inspecting Jesse's wound.
"I don't know what to do with such a bad injury." I admitted nervously. "I think we need to take the chance and get Doc. Mimms up to see him." I glanced up at Tom and Jim; they were the only two who were not seen during the rescue earlier.
"I'll go." Jim said bravely looking down at the unconscious figure of Jesse. " I know the way." I smiled gratefully at him and squeezed his hand encouragingly as he crawled back through the brush.
"And we wait." Cole said authoritatively while settling himself against a tree trunk. "No one leaves the safety of these trees until those eastern rat bastards leave Liberty."
"Let's hope we all leave alive." Bob muttered. I shot him a frightened glance and he smiled at me apologetically and pulled me over so I could rest with my head in his lap. "But there's no worry as long as we have you here." He said lightening his previous tone. "With your pretty little smile to brighten us all up, we'll be better than ever." I couldn't help but smile at this, but lightly punched Bob in the knee.
"Nice try brother," I quipped "But I'm not ten, and flattery doesn't solve everything anymore." He laughed slightly and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. We all settled in to wait for the return of Jim and Doc Mimms, praying that everything would be ok.
"Where are they?" Jim asked voicing my concern. He slipped off of Jett's back and whistled, sounding an awful lot like a bird. To our right we heard a rustling sound and whipped around. Cole peered out from the underbrush at us.
"Cole!" Jim cried as he pelted towards him. Cole grabbed him into a tight hug. I also jumped from Jett, aching to hold him close to me as well.
"I don't know what to say," I breathed into his shoulder feeling tears well up. "You put your life on the line to protect me." I squeezed him extra hard at that. I felt his arm move up onto my shoulder and push me back so I stood at arms length. He stared intensely into my eyes.
"And you just did the same thing for me. So we're even ok?" He smiled and pulled me back into his chest, squeezing the daylights out of Jim and me. From behind I heard another rustle in the bushes.
"Hey," Came the voice of Tom. "You guys better get back here." I turned to the bushes and followed the Indian into the brush, Cole and Jim close behind. Pushing the last branch out of my way I found myself staring at the limp body of Jesse, prostrated on the dry earth. A dark circle of blood was pooling around his left shoulder. I felt my stomach roll over and a sick feeling swept through my entire being. I fell onto my knees beside him. I wanted to cry, scream and vomit all at once.
"He's alive." Tom quickly reassured me. "But he's weak and losing blood fast, I need help." At that I pushed all of my qualms to the side. I had to be calm and help Jesse; it was all I could do.
"Jim, give my your coat." I directed
"What for?" He asked as he started to take it off.
"To put under his head. And here." I ripped off a portion of my petticoat and handed it to Tom. " Tie this around the wound it'll help stop the bleeding." I sat close to Jesse's head and pushed the hair out of his eyes as the boys complied with my requests.
"What now?" Jim asked looking at me with concern. I tried to avoid his gaze. I knew one glance and that twin connection would allow him to know everything I felt about Jesse. Instead I pretended to be inspecting Jesse's wound.
"I don't know what to do with such a bad injury." I admitted nervously. "I think we need to take the chance and get Doc. Mimms up to see him." I glanced up at Tom and Jim; they were the only two who were not seen during the rescue earlier.
"I'll go." Jim said bravely looking down at the unconscious figure of Jesse. " I know the way." I smiled gratefully at him and squeezed his hand encouragingly as he crawled back through the brush.
"And we wait." Cole said authoritatively while settling himself against a tree trunk. "No one leaves the safety of these trees until those eastern rat bastards leave Liberty."
"Let's hope we all leave alive." Bob muttered. I shot him a frightened glance and he smiled at me apologetically and pulled me over so I could rest with my head in his lap. "But there's no worry as long as we have you here." He said lightening his previous tone. "With your pretty little smile to brighten us all up, we'll be better than ever." I couldn't help but smile at this, but lightly punched Bob in the knee.
"Nice try brother," I quipped "But I'm not ten, and flattery doesn't solve everything anymore." He laughed slightly and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. We all settled in to wait for the return of Jim and Doc Mimms, praying that everything would be ok.