Chapter Five.

It was JD who saw them coming, three figures approaching the town, walking slowly, one wearing a distinctive dark hat, flatter and squarer than the other two. He looked round to address Vin and Buck, who were seated lazily outside the saloon.

"Ezra's back!"

Nathan, appearing on the boardwalk rubbing at his hands with a scrap of towel, squinted into the distance where JD was pointing, noticing something the others hadn't.

"Ezra's slumping."

At once the others turned their attentions back, looking hard at the middle rider. Vin slowly nodded,

"Nathan's right," he stood quickly, and he and Nathan moved forward to greet the small party. Buck struggled up ungracefully from his chair, and he and JD limped over to stand with the other two, and Josiah who was wandering casually over from the Church.

They could hear the sounds of bickering, and as the riders drew in closer, they could see the two men on either side of Ezra shaking fists at one another, and hear some of the curses thrown back and forth,

"If I had any bullets I'd shoot you right now!"

Nathan frowned on seeing Ezra, looking pale and exhausted in his saddle, and clutching his right side gingerly.

On seeing his associates standing waiting to meet them, Ezra let out a sigh of relief, and let his horse stop slowly before them.

"Gentlemen," he greeted wearily.

Vin frowned at him,

"What happened to you?" he asked, as Buck chimed in behind him,

"You look like Hell,"

Ezra shot him a death stare and then rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He waved his hand airily,

"We ran into a spot of bother," he stated simply, taking a deep breath and screwing up his face as he shifted in the saddle slightly.

Danielson pointed helpfully at MacReedy,

"And then he shot him!"

MacReedy looked over at his neighbour with panic, and then back at the astounded lawmen,

"You shot him!" asked JD angrily eyeing the pathetic looking farmer, who began to stutter badly,

"W-w-w-w..."

Nathan however ignored the embarrassment of the small man, and instead marched over to stand by Ezra's horse, looking up at the gambler and taking in his appearance,

"Why you soaking wet?"

Ezra's eyes narrowed and he looked over at Danielson, who cleared his throat and shifted in his seat under the scrutiny. All eyes turned to look at him.

"Well, that was the input of Mr. Danielson," Ezra began with a sigh, "Who seemed to believe that the best follow-up for being shot was death by freezing,"

Danielson tried to protest his innocence.

"Well now, you see my pa told me that the best cure for shock was something cold...so...we...took him to this here stream see...and..."

Nathan groaned loudly, and gave the farmer a look of pure murder,

"You're pa was just like you are...stupid!"

Danielson took the retort on the chin, and looked down uncomfortably, only looking up angrily when MacReedy whispered quietly from his horse,

"Told you."

Ezra winced as Nathan prodded him in the side, but let out a sigh at the same time,

"Mr. Jackson, I doubt you will take what I am about to say seriously, but I am exceedingly glad to have you ministering to my afflictions,"

Nathan shook his head at the hapless farmers,

"I can see why."

It was as JD shot daggers at Danielson that Josiah seized the opportunity and beckoned the two farmers down off their horses,

"Brothers...I believe it's best you leave the good man to deal with Ezra and take up your business with the judge."

MacReedy nodded uncertainly, and followed his neighbour as Josiah beckoned them down the street. All remaining eyes turned to Ezra once more as he slid down painfully off his horse,

Vin cocked his head quizzically at the gambler, a small smile tugging at his lips,

"So he shot you?"

Buck grinned as well, and both ignored Nathan's steely glare. Ezra turned to look at them with contempt.

"It's not wise to underestimate his powers of haplessness Mr. Tanner. They might just surprise you."

Vin grinned once more as Ezra set off slowly for the saloon, Nathan fussing about him like a mother hen.

Chris would not be happy.

ooooooooooooooooo

Chris was not happy.

Still under the impression that the task he had set out for Ezra was the simplest thing in the world, he had stopped just short of berating the gambler. However being told by Nathan that he'd been shot had cooled his mood slightly, as had the settlement over the two neighbours' land quarrels, which the Judge had amended very speedily.

In order to let Ezra rest and also to highlight his point, Chris had offered to take the neighbours back. Promising to arrive back in Four Corners without a scratch, and in perfectly good time.

He still had every hope of doing so as the other six men, the Judge and Mary stood about the next day, waiting to see them off.

MacReedy had spent most of the morning apologising profusely to Ezra, who had accepted the barrage of apologies with an airy wave of his hand. Now, a top his horse again, he was embroiled in another past time. Arguing with Danielson.

"Be back in two days," Chris growled confidently, climbing onto his horse and casting his gaze over the others, particularly a worn looking Ezra who raised his hip flask in a gesture of luck, the smirk on his face a little unnerving.

"Come on boys," with that, Chris led the two bickering farmers out of the town and into the distance. The Judge, as soon as the riders became no more than small spots on the horizon, clapped his hands together, and, almost as if a silent sign of some sort, the others moved off also, heading back to chairs in the shade, glasses of drink and other pursuits to while away the time.

Ezra however remained, watching the riders become even smaller. It was him who spotted the other horseman. A dark figure watching the three riders from behind and setting off slowly after them. A small smile played across Ezra's lips, and his lifted his hip flask once again as he muttered quietly to himself,

"See you in two days Mr. Larabee, and the best of luck to you."

End.

oooooooooo

There, another one finished! Thank you so much to those who have reviewed, and those who will!

I already have ideas for new tales, or maybe one-offs, but am off to uni in about two weeks, so it might be a while before I get on here again. Anyway, see you when I see you!