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9
Scattered Crumbs
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Sally jumped down from the wagon and hitched the reins efficiently so that the team would not move off. Equally efficiently, she inspected Slim's improvised bandage and gave him an approving nod. "That'll help a lot, but we'll need to keep up the pressure on the wound too. Can you drive please, Slim, and we'll look after Jess in the back?"
Lucky Jess! Not for the first time, Slim observed that, whenever Jess got hurt, there always seemed to be a female comforter - usually pretty! – around to minister to him. All the same, he did not make light of the injury. It was important they got Jess to the doctor, even though both Jonesy and Sally would be able to do temporary treatment for him. With this in mind, he advanced once more on his seated partner.
"Get off me!" Jess snarled. "I can climb!" He scrambled defiantly to his feet, strode over to the wagon and hauled himself up into the back.
Slim and Sally grinned at each other, both being well acquainted with Jess's inability to accept help. Slim laughed and told the offended Texan: "I wasn't thinking of lifting you up!" He offered Sally his hand and led her over to the wagon, where he placed both hands on her waist and lifted her easily to join Jess.
Turning to Hope, Slim jerked his head in the direction of the other two and said: "Come on, up you go too. Sally'll need another pair of hands when she has to take a rest."
Hope had been watching the three of them with a kind of baffled rage. They so obviously knew each other well and were totally at ease together. Sally could not hold a candle to the younger girl in terms of dress and deportment, but she had a warm, shrewd and generous practicality which shone with its own kind of beauty. And both men equally obviously admired her.
Now Slim was giving Hope orders as if she were a younger sister of not much account, just like Jago did. Hope scowled. She almost stamped her foot. She had no intention of being thrown around in the back of a rough wagon with a now shirtless, blood-stained man against whom her great aunt had taken a severe dislike. "I'm not going in that filthy wagon to get covered with blood," she told him angrily.
"Then you'll walk," Slim informed her quietly but inexorably. However much he might want to strangle Jess himself at times, he was not going to have his friend's health risked by some teenage tantrum.
"That's cruel!" Hope burst into tears.
Sally was soft-hearted as well as generous. "Oh, let her ride up front with you, Slim," she suggested, adding with a distinct twinkle in her eye: "I can manage Jess perfectly well on my own."
That went almost without saying, but Slim didn't have to like it. And he liked still less the smirk on Jess's rather dirt-smeared features as he contributed: "Yeah, I don't mind having Sally all to myself!"
Slim beckoned to the girl who was now sobbing artistically into a damp handkerchief. "Get up on the front, Hope."
"But the buggy. Where is it? I want to go in the buggy!"
"It's over there." Slim pointed. "But I don't think you'll get far without the horse." A thought about this mysterious disappearance struck him and he gave Jess another stern glance. Since Jess was fully occupied getting comfortable with Sally's supporting arm around him, this had absolutely no effect whatsoever. Slim put it down to account – to be dealt with later! He turned his attention back to Hope.
With a sudden flash of common sense, that young lady had realized there was nothing for it but to obey if she did not want to walk several miles in her sodden and unsuitable pumps. After seeing her safely into the seat, Slim unhitched the reins and jumped up beside her.
The wagon started with a jolt and a rattle, which set the tune for their journey. If Hope had been anything less than totally self-centred, she might have spared a thought for what the shaking must be doing to Jess's injured shoulder. But she was too busy sulking and trying to keep an aloof dignity, which was difficult with the swaying and lurching tossing her around in the seat. Slim looked over his shoulder from time to time, making sure Sally was alright and Jess's bandages were holding up. The proximity of Sally's burnished hair to the rough, dark locks of her patient did not please him. On the other hand, he could see that blood was still soaking through the bandage despite the pressure Sally was maintaining. He urged the horses as fast as the track and the safety of his passengers would allow. It did not make him any more popular with Miss Hope Robinson, whose pleasant plans had been so disrupted.
#####
Jonesy was doomed to have his pleasant post-lunch snoozes disturbed as well and this time the interruption was just as unexpected as the first. He was aroused by the sound of Andy's palomino thundering into the yard. Where had the young rascal been all day? Jonesy was preparing some stern words on taking a holiday from the chores when the front door burst open and Andy was appealing for his help.
"Get bandages and your salve, Jonesy! I'll put the hot water on!" He disappeared into the kitchen.
"Why? What's up? Who's hurt?" Jonesy demanded as he headed for his medicine chest.
"Guess!" Andy was not above relieving the tension with a little humour.
"Huh!" Jonesy didn't need to guess. "What's he done this time?"
"Lain down in front of a stampede," Andy grinned.
Jonesy's heart lurched. Maddening though Jess could certainly be and much as Jonesy supported Slim's right to choose whatever woman he wanted, he had patched up and nursed the Texan too many times to want to see him die now. All he said, though, was: "Huh! Thought he'd got more sense!"
Andy considered this for a moment. "Slim always says that Jess operates on fifty per cent instinct, forty percent reflex and just ten percent common sense."
"He does? Well, y'brother knows that durn'd Texan well enough by now. Wise man, your brother."
And with this accolade, the wise brother drove his mixed cargo into the yard.
Jonesy was out of the door like a shot, despite his bad back, and Andy was close on his heels. A sweeping glance revealed a bedraggled, mortified and furious Hope, sitting with as cold a shoulder as she could managed turned to a stony-faced Slim. But Jonesy did not spare her as much as a glance, still less a polite invitation to the hospitality of the house. He rushed straight to the tailgate of the wagon and was relieved to see Sally Travers in charge of the world's most recalcitrant patient. He didn't even spare a thought to worry about the close embrace in which Sally was holding Slim's rival. He just wanted to see the damage.
"Git y'self over here right now, y' stupid cowhand!" he ordered. "Ain't you old enough yet t' know y' don't mix it with steers on foot?"
Jess gave him a sheepish grin and scooted over to the end of the trailer. Jonesy made short work of removing the improvised bandage which was now pretty well soaked in blood. Andy had placed a bowl of warm water on the tailgate. Jonesy took up the sponge and cleaned the wound as thoroughly as he could. Then he dried it, pressed on a thick pad of gauze and bound up the shoulder with clean bandages.
"Ain't gonna put nothin' on it," he said to Sally when he'd finished. "Needs deep cleanin' and stitchin'."
She nodded in agreement. "Best left to the doctor."
"You keep the pressure on it, though, girl – else he's gonna be as pale as a new-born lamb by the time he gets back to his own bed."
"Ain't aimin' for any bed," Jess told them cheekily. "I had in mind a long, peaceful visit to the saloon."
"I should know better than to expect any lamb-like behaviour from you!" Sally scolded him. "Now get back in here and let's get going."
"Thanks, Jonesy!" Jess might be resistant to all things medical, but he knew that Jonesy had saved his life more than once. Now he gave the old cook an appreciative thump on the arm and added: "And next time, don't go rushin' out so fast you hurt that back of yours!" His quick eyes had spotted the pain in Jonesy's movements, deft though they were.
"I suppose it's too much to hope that there ain't gonna be a next time?" Jonesy gave him a slap on the unhurt shoulder. "Now git!"
All this while, Hope and Slim had remained silent in the front seat. Hope knew she could not get back to Laramie and to a bath and clean clothes and civilization unless she continued to ride along. There was no way she was going on a stage in this state! Slim was content to let Jonesy take Jess to task and also trusted his skill and knowledge to give him the best help he could at the same time. He was just worried that another twelve miles in the discomfort of the wagon was not going to do Jess much good.
Jess evidently had the same thought. "This is stupid," he protested, resisting Sally's attempts to herd him back into the wagon. "Get Trav. I can ride."
"I'm fine!" three voices chorused as one. They'd all heard Jess in this vein before.
"You're not fine and you're not riding," Slim added flatly. His voice was quiet, without emphasis, but he had no intention of letting Jess disobey him. Fortunately there was a further rattle of wheels and Jago drove in to the yard in the buggy, with the two young horses trailing unwillingly behind. He'd stayed to catch all three of them, while Andy made swift tracks to the ranch to alert Jonesy.
As he pulled to a halt, his sister jumped from the wagon and rushed into his arms. "Oh, Jago! Thank goodness you're here. Take me home! I can't bear this any more …"
Jago looked at the little group in the wagon. He looked down at his sister, who was rather more the worse for wear than any of them intended. He shook his head.
"What? But you must!" Hope's voice was shrill with frustration.
Jago put her gently aside. He led the buggy up close to the wagon and said: "Get in!"
Jess was having none of it. "I'm fi … quite capable of riding!" he insisted.
Jago looked at him closely. He was obviously summoning up the full range of his persuasive vocabulary. "Nonsense! In!" He seemed as if he was going to copy Slim and pick Jess up bodily if he continued to resist.
This must have been evident to Jess – or perhaps he was just stunned by Jago's unexpected assertiveness. He slid reluctantly over the tailgate and clambered into the buggy.
"You too, miss." Jago offered Sally his hand as she changed vehicles. He jerked his head towards Jess. "Needs holding down!"
Sally grinned and complied by applying the pressure on Jess's bandages again. Jago climbed up beside them, but was interrupted by a positive screech from his sister.
"Jago, you can't do this! What about me?"
As usual, Jago showed about as much emotional reaction to her shenanigans as a stone carving. He pointed to the wagon. "Ride with Sherman. It's what you wanted, isn't it?"
He shook the reins and the buggy rattled out of the yard, followed in short order by the wagon. Not a word was spoken for some miles. They were all struck dumb by Jago Robinson's totally unexpected loquacity!
#####
Slim pulled the wagon to a halt outside the Mulholland's house. Why was he not surprised to find Martha Travers keeping company with the First Lady? His mental nostrils twitched at a distinct aroma of conspiracy. He looked at the bedraggled and unhappy girl beside him and felt an upsurge of both pity and anger. He never could abide unfairness and what had happened to Hope was certainly unfair. He just hoped it was unplanned, but he had his doubts. But Hope had shown no consideration for anyone except herself. When he thought of her disregard of Jess's injury …!
It was at this point that Slim realized Jess had been right all along and that, when he was thinking clearly, he valued his partner's instinctive reactions to people. In any case, life on the relay station ranch involved living with Jess and Slim was suddenly conscious that any relationship which divided their friendship was probably not worth pursuing permanently. This revelation didn't stop him feeling sorry for Hope, but it came with an immense and unexpected sense of relief.
The wagon had barely drawn to a halt when the door of the Mulholland's house opened and the reception committee emerged. Actually it was not the full reception committee, because Miss Eli had a business to run and could not be sitting around waiting to see if the sisterhood's schemes had come to fruition. But Mrs. Mulholland and Mrs. Travers could be relied upon to do the honours.
"Oh, Aunt Agnes!" Hope flung herself off the wagon seat and into what she expected would be sympathetic arms.
"Hope, my dear, I see you have been at work."
Hope gave an outraged sob: "I've had the most terrible time, such horrid experiences, I can't tell you."
"No, my dear," Mrs. Mulholland sounded anything but sympathetic, "there is nothing you can tell me or any other woman in Laramie about the need to stand strong alongside our men in their daily work."
"Work?" Hope sounded scandalized. "I was going on a picnic."
Mrs. Mulholland patted Hope gently on the arm, but her voice was uncompromising: "I'm sure Mr. Sherman –" here she accorded him a polite bow, "was kind enough to take time off from the work of his business, but you should not imagine that picnics are the normal routine of a working ranch."
"Our young men have many demands on their time and strength," Mrs. Travers continued firmly. "The women in their lives must be prepared to endure with them hardship and uncertainty and loneliness."
"But that's horrible!" Hope protested. "It's all horrible – insects and smelly cows and dust and -"
"That's enough, Hope!" Mrs. Mulholland detached herself firmly from her ward's embrace. "You insult the lives of the men who are opening up this territory!"
"And giving all they have to make homes and businesses secure – devoting all their effort to supporting their families," Martha Travers continued.
"To make it a place fit for women to be able to enjoy on high days and holidays the things you seem to expect all the time!" Mrs. Mulholland concluded. "Now come inside and clean up. You're keeping Mr. Sherman from important tasks."
"Important!" Hope stamped both feet at last, relieving all her pent-up feelings. "I don't care about his smelly cows and your stupid town! I want to go home!"
"Very well, my dear," Agnes Mulholland gave no indications whatsoever of her satisfaction, "Come inside and I'll help you pack."
As Mrs Mulholland and Hope made their way back into the house, Slim felt a wrench of separation which summed up his emotions. But he had heard his life, his home and his community dismissed as 'stupid' and he knew that the any pain at such parting was well worth bearing.
"I see you've got our wagon, Slim." Martha Travers was smiling at him with all the understanding and generosity which characterized both her and her daughter. "Can you take me back into town to find Sally?"
Find Sally they did, but it was not in ideal circumstances.
Jago had, of course, driven Jess straight to the doctor's house. He and Sally sat on the porch in tense silence until the front door opened and Jess emerged at last, stitched up and in a borrowed shirt, but still cockily defiant. The doctor surveyed the three of them with a jaundiced eye and then pronounced: "Just keep him out of trouble, will you? At least for the next couple of hours!"
Jess's escort exchanged glances and Sally affirmed: "We'll do our best, doc."
"Well, get Slim on your side! You're going to need all the muscle-power you can muster if you're going to make this idiot rest!" And with that, the doctor slammed his door on them.
Jago said nothing, just grabbed Jess in a cautious but heartfelt hug. Jess was not sure whether this was jubilation at the success of their plan or because his friend was pleased to see him in one piece again.
Sally said nothing either and she was not going to let Jago have a monopoly of hugging. She looked up at Jess, her relief and affection positively radiating from her eyes, and flung both arms round him. Jess had to bend his head to look down at her … he kept on leaning down …
The wagon rounded the bend which took them to the doctor's house. It was set on a rise high above the road and the porch was partly enclosed, but it was still a pretty public place for a prolonged and thorough kiss. Not that Sally seemed concerned. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying the experience considerably. Even the sound of the wagon approaching and stopping did not provoke any reaction. The reaction was all Slim's. No doubt as Jess intended.