Scott and Teresa came home from taking Beets to the stage, with the news that Burl had not seemed well. As the

family sat down to a simple supper of cold roast beef sandwiches and tomatoes, Teresa expressed concern.

"He's not well, I don't think," Teresa began by saying.

"What's the trouble?" Murdoch asked.

"I'm not sure," Teresa said, as she passed the platter of tomatoes to Johnny. "He seemed ill, though, didn't he, Scott?"

"He seemed to feel poorly," Scott said. "Though he denied it."

"I don't think he eats well," Teresa went on.

"Is he not eating the groceries we've been taking?" Murdoch asked.

"I don't know," Teresa said. "There doesn't seem to be any food lying around, so perhaps he is. He just seems-poorly."

Charlie chewed her sandwich, feeling concerned.

"Well, I'll stop around tomorrow and check on him," Murdoch said.

"Could I go with you?" Charlie spoke up.

"What about school?" Murdoch asked her, from his end of the table.

"It's a half-day tomorrow," Charlie said. "We're done by noon."

That brought questions from Murdoch and Johnny about why there was only a half-day, and while Scott was explaining,

Charlie finished her milk. The conversation never returned to Murdoch's planned visit to Burl's place.

After she'd helped Teresa clear the table, water was put on the stove to heat for Charlie's bath.

What with having her bath, and finishing her handwriting for school, there wasn't time to talk to Murdoch again until

bedtime. When she was in her nightgown, and waiting in her bedroom, for Scott to come up to read with her, she stood at

her doorway, hoping that Murdoch would come upstairs.

She was still standing there, waiting, when Scott came up the stairs, carrying the copy of 'Little Men'.

"What are you doing out here in the hall?" he asked Charlie.

"Hoping Murdoch would come up."

"Why?" Scott asked, ushering Charlie into her room.

"I wanted to ask him again if I could go to Burl's with him tomorrow."

"I think he said he plans to go in the morning," Scott said.

"Oh," Charlie said, disappointed.

"You'll be able to visit Burl another day."

"Okay," Charlie said.

After they'd read a half a chapter of the book, Scott laid it outside. "Ready for sleep?" he asked Charlie.

"I guess," Charlie said, but she didn't move, from her spot next to him on the bed, or raise her head from his shoulder.

"Everybody likes Burl, don't they?" she asked. "I mean everybody here, in the family."

"Yes, we all like him," Scott said.

"I'm glad. Now he won't have to be so alone anymore."

L

School was released promptly at noon the next day. Rebecca and Jason walked part of the way with Charlie, to the

center of town, where they parted ways. Charlie considered going into the mercantile, to buy jelly beans. Not having brought

any of her allowance to school, though, that wasn't a possibility.

Darn it. Charlie thought she could almost taste those jelly beans.

Passing the alleyway near the café, she thought she saw a familiar bent-over figure. She headed that way, and

found Burl, sitting on a broken bench behind the café.

"Hello, Burl," she greeted him.

The old man didn't raise his head.

"Burl-" Charlie said, again, and took a couple steps closer. "Are you alright?"

"Do I know ya?" he asked, raising his gaze to Charlie. His eyes were reddened.

"Yeah. It's Charlie. Remember?" she asked, confused.

"Hot out," Burl said.

Charlie thought he looked ill. "Do you want a drink of water?" she asked.

Burl hung his head again, and didn't answer.

Charlie looked around, thinking. She left her school books there, beside the bench, and went to the front of the café. She went

inside. Since it was the noon hour, it was crowded. Charlie worked her way thru the crowd, and went to where she saw

Alice, the owner.

"Excuse me," Charlie said.

Alice was calling across the room to someone, carrying a plate in both hands.

"Excuse me," Charlie said, again, louder this time.

Alice turned to look at Charlie. "Yes?" she said, in a harried sort of way.

"Could I have a cup of water?"

"What?"

"Could I have a cup of water? Please?"

Alice set the plates down on a nearby table. "There's your orders, folks," she said, to the two men at the table.

Walking past Charlie again, she gave her another quick glance.

"I'm a mite busy here, girl," she said. "As you can see."

"Yes, ma'm, if I could just have a cup of water?"

Near the doors leading to the kitchen, Alice paused her walking.

"You're that gal stayin' at the Lancers, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"And you want a cup of water, is that it?"

Charlie nodded. "Please."

Alice pushed her way into the kitchen, and Charlie stayed where she was. A few moments later, Alice returned, with a

tin cup of water.

"Here," she said.

"Thank you," Charlie said. "I'll bring the cup back in just a few minutes."

"What's this? Where are you going with my cup?"

"Out back."

"Drink it here," Alice commanded. "No need to be walking around back with it."

"I'm taking it to someone-I'll bring it right back to you. I promise."

"What-" Alice began, and then her attention was caught by another customer, motioning to her.

Charlie took advantage of that, and went swiftly thru the front doors, and around thru the alley again.

Burl was still sitting there, and Charlie sat down on the bench beside him.

"I brought you some water," she told Burl.

"What?" Burl asked, looking confused.

Charlie wasn't certain what was wrong. She only knew that something was.

"Here," she said, trying to press the cup into Burl's hand.

She saw that his hand was shaking, and she held her own hand over the cup to help him steady it.

"Cold," Burl said, after he'd taken a few sips.

He looked as though he was very sweaty, and Charlie wished she had a cloth to dip into the remaining cold water.

"Do you have a handkerchief?" she asked the old man.

He shook his head, and Charlie settled for dipping her fingers into the cool water and touching his forehead and cheeks

lightly.

"Did Murdoch come to see you today?" she asked Burl.

"Do I know him?" Burl asked, and Charlie was suddenly frightened.

"Yes. You know him," she said, thinking, and wondering what she should do. Burl wasn't in any state to walk home, in

the heat. She bit at her lip, considering. She could go and fetch Gurth, and lead the horse, with Burl riding, out to the shack.

That was, if he would get on the horse's back. She was of no size to get him mounted.

But, then, she would be very late, getting home. Everybody would be worried. Well, maybe not Scott, or Murdoch, but

Teresa would know she was late. And if too much time went by, she would go and find Scott to tell him, and Scott would come

hunting for her, thinking that something was wrong.

She could go to the jail. Mr. Val would be able to help. She felt better just thinking about it.

"What's this?" came a shrill female voice, from the back steps of the café. Alice stood there, mopping at her

face with her lifted apron. "What are you doing back here?"

"Just resting," Charlie said, and stood up, bringing the tin cup over to the woman. "Thank you for the water."

"What's he doing here?" Alice asked then, sounding disapproving. "Best not be going thru my bins again!"

"He wasn't," Charlie said, defensively.

"That's what he's always doing-making a nuisance of himself-"

"He's not. He was just resting," Charlie said, with spirit.

"That's a new word for it," the woman said. "The water for him, was it?"

"Yes."

"I don't have use for folks who are looking for a handout-" Alice continued.

"He's not wanting a handout," Charlie said, interrupting. "And it's not as though the water cost you anything."

For a long few moments, the café owner was silent, looking startled by Charlie's spirited words.

"I don't appreciate sass from young ones," Alice said, now. "I don't think Murdoch Lancer would like to hear

that a young'un visiting in his home was talking to her elders in that way, miss."

Charlie couldn't bring herself to apologize. She wasn't sorry for speaking up that way. Still-

"I wasn't intending to be sassy," she said. There. That was as close to an apology as the cross bat was going to get.

Alice was glaring at her, and Charlie went over to pick up her school books, shifting them onto one arm. Then, she

told hold of Burl's arm. "Come on," she told the old man, and when he made no move to rise, she tugged on his arm, a bit.

"Burl. Come on with me."

Burl raised his head. "Oh, it's you, gal," he said, in apparent recognition of Charlie.

"Yes. It's me," Charlie said, and tugged at his arm again. "Let's go."

Burl rose, then nearly fell back, seeming unsteady. When he seemed to have found steadier feet, Charlie began walking

beside him, still holding onto his arm.

"I don't want that old reprobate around here," Alice said. "Likely as not, he's drunk."

For one moment, one very pleasurable moment, Charlie imagined herself turning back and letting fly with some of

the language of the kid-gang in Stockton. That would rattle the old bat's nerves, Charlie thought with satisfaction.

In her mind, though, she saw Scott's face, and thought of the things he was always telling her, about

discretion with her words, and kindly speaking. He would not be pleased if she hurled those obscenities at Alice.

Probably, that would even be one of those rare times that Scott spanked, instead of talked, or reasoned.

Nope. Not worth the risk. No matter how satisfying it would be in the moment.

Charlie led Burl out onto the sidewalk, and they made their way, extremely slowly towards the jail office.

It seemed to take forever to get there. Burl wasn't steady on his feet. Several times he stopped walking totally, and

Charlie had to coax him into continuing.

"Where are we goin'?" he asked, at one point.

"To see a friend," Charlie settled for saying. She couldn't tell if he was thinking clearly or not, since he was silent,

other than some mutterings under his breath. As if to himself.

Finally, they were at the door of the jail. Charlie felt as though she'd run to town and back to Lancer again.

When she went inside, it seemed cooler in the jail office. She closed the door behind her, and looked around for Val.

She heard an off-key whistling from the back, where the cells were at.

She eased Burl into one of the chairs, and went back to where Val was standing on a cot in one of the cells,

swiping at spider webs in the corners of the ceiling with a broom.

"Well, hello there, Just Charlotte," Val greeted her, with a smile. "It's past time you came to visit me. School's out

early today, huh?"

Charlie nodded. "I was wondering if you could help me with something." She was still breathless from pulling Burl along

the sidewalks.

"I imagine I might be able to help. What is it?" Val asked, still swiping with the broom.

"It's Burl," Charlie said.

"Burl? You mean the old fellow at the edge of town?"

"Yes. He was sitting behind the café, and when I found him, he acted like he was sick, or something. I went to get him

a drink, but he's sweating something awful, and he's having trouble walking-I would have taken him home on my horse, but

I didn't know if he could mount up by himself or not-"

Val had paused, to listen to Charlie's monologue, lowering the broom in his hand. He stepped down off the cot, and

came over to her. "Take a breath there, sweetheart."

"I think he's sick, though!"

"Alright, well, where is he now?"

"Sitting out there," Charlie said, pointing to the office.

"In the office?"

Charlie nodded, and Val began walking that way. At the sight of the old man, sitting just where Charlie had placed him,

Val handed Charlie the broom he was carrying. "Put that away for me."

Charlie took the broom, and went hastily to open the small closet and stand it inside.

Val had bent down and was attempting to talk to Burl. Shaking his shoulder lightly.

"Hey there, old timer. You feeling poorly today?" Val asked.

"I've felt better at times," Burl said, sounding more like himself.

"Have you, now? Well, what's the problem?" Val asked.

Burl only shook his head, and leaned back in the chair.

"Let's try some more water," Val said, nodding to Charlie, and Charlie scurried to fill a cup from the pail of cold water

set beside Val's desk.

When she'd brought it over, Val took it and held it out. When he saw that Burl's hands were shaking so, he held

the cup for him. Val handed the half-full cup back to Charlie.

"Think you need the doc?" Val was asking Burl now.

"No doctor," Burl said, his voice sounding raspy.

"You have pain somewhere?" Val asked him, then.

Burl only shook his head again, and leaned back, closing his eyes. As if he was closing them out.

Val straightened up again, looking as though he was thinking.

"What do we do?" Charlie asked, looking up at Val.

"I don't know. Hard to say what it is that's ailing him."

"Should I get the doctor?" Charlie asked.

"Let's have him lay down back there for a spell. See if that helps any."

"In one of the cells?" Charlie asked. She hated to think of Burl in a cell.

Instead of answering, Val hoisted Burl to his feet.

Burl muttered, and Val said, in what seemed to be a comforting voice, "We're gonna find a place for you to rest for a bit, old timer."

Much easier than it had been for Charlie to help walk him, Val assisted Burl to one of the cells, to lay on a cot.

Val left the cell door ajar, and came out. Charlie was standing, watching Burl. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was

ragged.

"Come on," Val told her, ushering her back out towards the front office.

Charlie paused walking, and looked back again. "He looks like he's going to die," she said.

"He's not going to die," Val told her. This time, when he put his hand on the center of her back, and gave her

a push to start her walking, there was no avoiding it.

Once in the office, Val went to pour a cup of coffee.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" Charlie asked.

"I'm not a doctor, darlin'. I don't know. Could be he just had too much sun. Got overheated, or dehydrated. Water and a little

rest might fix him right up."

"Where's your horse?" Val asked then.

"At the stable, still. I was walking there when I saw Burl." She bit at her lip. "They'll be worried at home, if I don't come

soon."

"Well, you should head on then," Val said.

"What about Burl, though?" Charlie protested.

"I'll keep an eye on him for awhile. If he needs the doc, then I'll see to it. I'll get him home later, too."

"Okay," Charlie said, reluctantly.

"I promise I'll take good care of him," Val said, with a slight smile. "Alright?"

"Alright. If he gets real sick, will you let us know?"

"Yes, Just Charlotte, I'll let you know."

"He doesn't have any money-Murdoch will pay for the doctor, I think-"

"We'll worry about that if need be," Val said.

"Maybe he hasn't eaten today-" Charlie began.

"When he wakes up, I'll see if he wants to eat."

"Maybe-" she began again, only to have Val speak over her.

"Here, now. Didn't you come here because you thought I would help?" he pointed out.

At Charlie's nod, he said, "Then you skedaddle on home, and let me do what needs doin'. Alright?"

Her brown eyes met his blue. "Thank you, Mr. Val," she said.

Val's eyes crinkled in amusement. "Thank you, Just Charlotte."

L