Chapter 4

"This is highly indecent, Gertrude," Jane said, watching her sister run a sponge over the stranger's chest while he lay submerged in the warm bath. Her actions were deliberate, smooth, and gentle. "What would become of us should someone find out?"

"Find what out, Jane? He's in need and we're helping him." Gertrude ignored her. Her dress sleeves were folded past her elbows and despite wearing an apron, the front of her dress was soaked. She had instructed Jane to keep his head above water, she had, and despite her protests, she found herself washing his hair.

"We're two old ladies bathing a full-grown man," Jane said, adjusting her position next to the head of the bathtub. "We're out here all alone… with a man we know nothing about, in the dead of winter." She fidgeted, rinsing the soap from his hair. She looked stressed: her lips were tight, jaw clenched, and her brow furrowed.

"You're overreacting — if it were the dead of winter…" she paused, "he'd be dead." She tossed the sponge into the basin next to the tub and then wiped her brow with the back of her wrist. "He's younger than I thought," Gertrude said, and paused to look at his face. Now clear of mud, she could see the extent of his injuries, the redness of the gashes, and the bruising along his jaw. "The water's cooled, we should get him into bed." She stood and stretched her back before grabbing several towels. She ran her hand across the coarse texture and looked at her sister: "Please, Jane…if we can help this man —"

"He can still die —"

"Then he'll die being cared for, it's the Christian thing to do."

Slowly, Jane nodded, and kept her hand cradled beneath his neck. "The nightshirt is on the table near the oven."

Four Corners was desolate. Snow covered the street and drifted against the boardwalks. Window shutters were closed, and only one door was open to the livery. Smoke billowed from every chimney, and street fires continued to burn. Chris dismounted and tied his horse to the hitching rail outside the saloon. He turned to help Vin dismount, and realized they were all in need of a hot bath, clean clothes, and well-placed liniment. Vin stiffly made his way up the steps, feeling the impact of yesterday's ordeal.

"Go on," Chris looked at Buck, "I'll take care of the horses; you both go get warm."

"Chris?" Buck said, and handed Trouble's reins to him.

"Tell the others I'll be back in a minute."

Buck nodded and followed Vin into the saloon.

It was warm, and the fire blazed. A few patrons sat in the booths at the far end of the bar while the tender wiped the counters. He nodded toward Buck and Vin and immediately poured them two beers.

"Where's everybody?" Buck asked, and took a seat at his usual table. He watched Vin warm his hands by the fire.

"Mr. Merdock died yesterday afternoon," Bill placed a beer on the table and took a seat, "guess he was tryin' to save a few of his hogs from gettin' swept down river." He sighed and looked at Buck. "Seems the water caught him unawares — JD an' Nathan found him this mornin' out by the dam, caught up in the rubble."

"They with Martha?"

Bill nodded: "Josiah an' Nathan are, think JD went to check on Nettie an' Casey." He ran a hand over his face. "This sure as hell ain't the kinda weather to get tapped in."

Buck nodded and rubbed his jaw with his hand: "No it ain't."

Chris closed the gate to the stall and wrapped the halter around the post. He turned as the door opened and Nathan and Josiah entered. They looked cold and miserable.

"Welcome home, brother," Josiah said, and flipped the stirrup over the seat of his saddle. He pulled the latigo free of the D ring, let the cinch swing beneath his horse's belly before he pulled the saddle from his mount's back.

Chris looked at Nathan: "Vin might need some doctorin' — he was walkin' stiff after we got back."

"What happened?" Nathan asked, and grabbed his medical bag from his saddle.

"Took a spill," Chris said, he looked from Josiah to Nathan and then to the empty stalls. "Ezra got caught in the current while we were ridin' back."

"He all right?" Josiah face was drawn.

Chris shook his head: "I'll meet you both in the saloon." He pushed the livery door open and left, leaving Nathan and Josiah to question the events.

"Go check on Vin," Josiah said, "I'll see to your horse."

Nathan helped Vin out of his jacket and then his shirt, wincing when he spotted the large black and blue bruises covering his back and chest. Buck stood in front of the stove, his hands clasped behind his back. Josiah watched from his chair across from Vin.

Chris pushed the door opened and closed it, allowing the bitter wind to send dust and debris across the wooden floor. He tossed his duster onto a table and grabbed a bottle of red-eye before he took a seat. He poured himself a shot, swallowed, and then poured himself another.

"What happened?" Josiah asked, and interwove his fingers and pressed his thumbs together.

Nathan applied a salve to Vin's back and quickly checked for broken bones.

"Got caught up in the storm," Buck said. "A tree fell — the winds were blowin' hard —"

"I let him go," Chris said, he swallowed his next shot. He poured another and fingered the short glass in his hand, watched the amber fluid swirl within the confines. "He fell back into the river — I reached for him — caught him… and then I let him go."

"Somethin' spooked the horses," Vin said, and winced when Nathan applied pressure to his ribs, "I tumbled outta the saddle an' Ezra grabbed me, pulled me up, but, from what I could see, the winds were blowin' so hard it snapped one of them ol' trees — snapped the damn thing in two. Ezra fell back and Chris jumped forward and damn if he didn't catch him — but the river current was just too strong an' that damn tree caught Ezra pulled 'im under — we lost 'im after that."

"Where about?" Josiah asked.

"Halfway up Pikes. We followed the river for about 5 miles… never found a damn thing," Buck sighed, "Peso's missin' as well — current pulled him downstream too."

Josiah stood and walked to the door.

"Where're you goin'?" Chris said, and swallowed another shot.

Josiah grabbed the doorknob and turned. "You best lay off the bottle. I'm headed over to Mr. Dawson's, he knows the Pike better than anyone and if we're going to find our lost brother we'd better have all the information available."

Chris stood, and clenched his jaw. "That water's too damn cold, Sanchez, and nobody, I mean nobody's goin' to make it more 'an a few hours in it."

Josiah clenched his jaw, flared his nostrils, and looked at Chris. "No offense, brother, but that's for God to decide — not you." He opened the door and left, slamming it shut behind him.

Chris grabbed the bottle of whiskey and threw it against the back wall, sending alcohol and glass in a turret of shards.