Uh, well, sorry for the very long break. I did my best for this translation.

Don't "kill" me for my grammatical errors. -_-

Later corrections are possible.

5. Reprieve

Jake nodded.

He had made his decision.

Now he just had to make sure that Rango recovered from his injuries. Jake displeased it to let alive his worst enemy. Nevertheless, for a duel, he didn't have a choice. With suspicion, he bent down to the tied chameleon. First, he must release him from the shackles.

Jake opened an old, large closet, where he kept all kinds of things, including several revolvers, knives and even a few old sheriff badges. Whenever he had killed someone, he kept a few valuables of his victims as a souvenir from his victory.

After some searching, he found a knife. Carefully, he took the knife in his mouth and crawled with it to Rango. Then he bent down to him, put the knife to the shackles carefully, and cut through the ropes, which were tied around the chameleon's hands and feet.

Rango moaned softly when Jake took off his shackles.

The rattlesnake rolled the chameleon on the back to form an opinion about his injuries. Then he rolled him on his belly.

He recognized several bruises. Apparently, the bandits had beaten him several times. Rango's body had covered with bruises and his back bloody from lashes of the whip.

Jake hissed at the sight of these injuries. He knew pain.

Something carefully Jake took the impotent lizard in a corner of the room and put it on a big blanket. Then he crawled back to the old closet and pulled out a large cloth. With the cloth in his mouth, he crawled outside. Next to the house flowed a little water source. He dipped the cloth into the water several times until it was soaking wet. With the wet cloth, he returned and spread it out over Rango.

Rango whined softly. However, Jake looked at him with a straight face. Cooling was the best for him now.

He touched Rango's forehead. The chameleon was severely dehydrated.

Quickly, Jake filled a glass with water, which he transported with his gun. It was amazing what Jake could manage without hands.

He sat down next to Rango and sat him up. Skillfully the rattlesnake managed to pour some water in Rango's mouth. Although Rango coughed a little bit, but he had drunken some fluid at least.

Gently Jake put him back on the blanket.

For a while, Jake looked at the chameleon, wondering what he should do to him next. In any case the wounds had to be treated.

He went back to the old cupboard, searching for first aid materials. Some of them were very dusty. Jake didn't know much about it, but at least he knew that alcohol was used for disinfecting.

With a tweezers, he dipped a piece of cotton in alcohol. Then he cleaned Rango's head wound. Rango trembled slightly, but he didn't wake up. After that, the rattlesnake rolled him on the belly and wiped the welts on his back clean.

Jake worked as carefully as he could. It wasn't easy working without hands. After he cleaned everything, he put him back on the blanket and rolled him on the belly.

Applying the wound powder was more difficult. But with the help of an old brush Jake managed to cover the worst wounds.

After he had finished, Jake looked at his work.

"Don't get used to that," Jake whispered to Rango, who was still unconscious. "You will die soon enough."

Jake had lit a campfire.

It was the second night, since he had accommodated the chameleon at his hut. Rango was still unconscious. Sometimes Rango whimpered a little bit, but after that he was silent immediately.

Jake stared into the flames.

The anger inside his stomach caused him stomach ache.

He hated it to take care for his rival.

Again and again, Jake toyed with the idea to kill Rango here and now. Then he changed his mind again and postponed Rango's final death until their duel.

Jake looked up. Rango moved slightly.

Should he talk to him or should he hide? If Rango saw him, Jake must confess him that he had helped him. This could ruin his reputation as the biggest killer of the West.

How could he make the chameleon clear that he still considers him as a rival? No, lower. He was his prisoner. Then he had an idea.

Rango's head hurts terribly. His whole body ached like sharps by a thousand needles. His mouth was dry. With blinking, he opened his eyes.

Over him, old wooden beams. Where was he?

A blanket lay on him.

Or was he dead?

He tried to sit up, but he couldn't move his arms. Quickly he removed the blanket with his legs. A rope was tied around his torso, which fixed his arms on the body. In vain, Rango tried to free himself. Only his right arm was partly free. When Rango tried to open the knot with his free hand, he heard a hissing sound beside him.

He startled. "Jake."

Jake bent down to him.

"One thing I want to make clear to you: That I brought you here, doesn't mean that I will let you alive. Oh no. As soon as you recovered, we will duel us."

Rango looked at him in disbelief. "But…"

"Not buts!" Jake interrupted him. "You have the choice, either I kill you now, or we fight a duel later."

The chameleon's voice failed when he looked at Jake's threatening burning eyes.

Finally, Rango nodded.

Something satisfied with himself, Jake moved back.

"Good. For so long you are my prisoner, not my guest!"

Jake pointed at Ranog's shackles.

"And don't come up with the idea of escaping!"

Rango nodded. A cough escaped his throat.

Jake turned around. Rango feared he enraged him mad. Quickly he closed his eyes. Seconds later, Jake came back.

He bumped Rango into the side and forced him to sit up. Moaning Rango raised his torso.

Then he heard something jingling.

Carefully, he opened his eyes. At first, he saw Jake's revolver in front of his face. Rango received a shock, although he was shocked enough. Then something flashed in the glow of the campfire. Now Rango recognized a glass on Jake's gun, filled with transparent liquid. Rango looked at him with shocked eyes.

In the past Jake had ever served him a glass, filled with his venom. Was he planning to poison him?

"Drink!" Jake ordered.

Rango didn't want to make him mad.

Hesitantly he took the glass with his free hand. He was still shaking, so it was difficult for him to keep the glass. Jake held his hand with his cannon and lifted it.

Rango shuddered. Like the same time as he had pressed his revolver in his hand. He sniffed. But it smelled neither suspected nor colored like rattlesnake venom. Rango tried to bend his arm, that wasn't easy because of the shackles around his body. Jake helped him to get the glass to his lips.

First Rango sipped at the glass. Jake watched him.

Rango gave him a wary glance. Then he drank slowly.

After he finished, he handed the glass back. Jake took the glass and caught it with his gun. Then he turned away and Rango sank back to the ground.

"Now sleep or I euthanize you. Understood?!" Jake said threateningly.

Rango nodded intimidated. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

He tried to sleep, but that wasn't so easy with a rope around his body.

To be continued…