He wished he had more time to think on this, more time to figure out what was happening. No way, if Barrett was a part of that ambush, he would have suddenly gotten brave enough to attack Nick while riding beside him alone. So either he hadn't been a part of it, or he meant them no harm just now, or there was another ambusher waiting for them in those trees.

He shook the slack out of the rope around the mare's neck he was ponying and let her go. She was half a mile from that water; she'd get there without him moving her along. He handed the reins of the gelding with the dead body tied to its saddle to the wounded ambusher. Man didn't look too happy but the wound wasn't serious and he could dally that rope if he needed to. That left Heath's hands free and them a quarter mile from the trees.

He knew Barrett didn't like him much. But no way some cowhand was going to get three buddies and ambush some down on his luck drifter because he didn't like him. But he thought a Nick Barkley with a huge ranch and a big feud with the railroad was maybe another story.

So, he tried to think what to do. Barrett was riding beside Nick. Seemed like Barrett's target must be Nick. That meant whoever was hiding in those trees, if there was someone hiding in the trees and Heath Thomson wasn't some fearful fool who'd been ambushed one time too many in the last week, that hiding shooter would be aiming at him. Not too much he could do about that bushwhacker he couldn't see, but he could do something about Barrett. He rode up closer behind the two men, his eyes on Barrett's gun hand.

Just as he saw the man's hand drop to his revolver, he gave Gal a hard squeeze with his heels, pushed her into a canter and sent her between Barrett's horse on the left and Nick's on the right, Gal knocking Barrett's bigger bay most of the way into a stumble.

"WHAT THE …."

"Can't you control your horse, boy?" Barrett always with the big mouth.

Worried he'd put Nick in the way of the bushwhacker while giving himself cover between the two riders, he hit Nick's big chocolate gelding hard on his rump with his hat and nearly unseated Nick. As Nick's horse sprang forward, Heath reached over and grabbed Barrett's gun hand, the pistol already out of the holster. The two of them wrestled for control of the gun for a moment before it discharged and knocked him from the saddle, Barrett coming with him.

The combination of the gunshot, the impact of Barrett's body landing on top of him, and the hard ground, knocked the wind out of him and pushed him to the edge of unconsciousness. At first he was only vaguely aware of Barrett punching away at his middle as he tried to raise his arms to ward off the blows. He could hear the sound of gunfire, but didn't think it was going to matter. He thought this was maybe his last fight. He couldn't even get his arms up to block Barrett's blows that seemed to be raining down on him like a rock slide one after the other, no pause between them. He couldn't hear anything anymore except the air being expelled from his own lungs by the impact of the fists on his stomach and chest.

Then as suddenly as the rain of blows had begun, they were gone.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!"

The weight of Barrett on his legs was gone and the blows stopped. He tried to draw in a breath but found it nearly impossible to breathe. He forced his eyes open as he fought with his body for air. He could see Nick and Barrett, Nick beating Barrett across the clearing, one blow after another, yelling at the man with the impact of each fist.

"YOU… NEVER… TOUCH… HIM."

He closed his eyes again and in spite of the pain had a small smile on his face. His brother had just saved him. His whole life he had waited for someone to save him from a beating. He did wish Nick had been a little quicker, but the saving was so fine. He fought to breathe and listened to Nick berate Barrett.

He must have passed out because the next thing he was aware of was Nick supporting his shoulders and trying to drown him with his canteen. He choked and coughed and moaned with the pain, ashamed of himself but unable to stop the sound.

"Here, boy. Drink a little water," Nick insisted.

In self defense, he swallowed some of the water but he was having so much trouble breathing he couldn't really manage getting air in his lungs and water in his belly at the same time and tried to turn his head away from the canteen. Nick finally relented and took the water away.

"I don't know how you see these dang ambushes so fast but you just saved our bacon again." Nick laid him back down on the ground and started to get to his feet. "I need to get a look at you here, boy. See what the damage is."

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't draw a breath into his body. He grabbed for Nick, for anything, unable to breathe, unable to call out. Then Nick was there again, lifting him up. Holding him up so he could draw painful breaths into his body. So he could breathe, so he could live.

"It's okay, Heath. I got you, just breathe, boy." Nick's words and hands held him gently as he drew the air in past broken ribs into aching lungs. He coughed and had he been able, would have screamed at the pain. He felt Nick shift under him and he was able to draw another breath, each one a battle against his weakness and the pain. He thought he must be dying. He opened his eyes and looked across at the cottonwood trees and the bright spring sunshine, seemed such a fine day, he hated to die. Then he had to draw another breath and he felt his chest burning.

"I know it hurts, boy. But you got to keep breathing."

He turned his eyes from the blue sky and the cottonwood trees to look at Nick. He was glad he wasn't going to have to die alone, that Nick would be there. He wasn't afraid to die. Seemed like almost everyone he knew was dead, so whatever waited for him, he would be in good company. But it was good not to die alone. It was good to feel Nick holding him against his chest, his arm around him, to hear Nick talking. He did enjoy listening to Nick talk.

"I need to get that bleeding stopped." He could feel Nick messing with his shirt. He was so tired. He thought maybe he would just close his eyes and take a little nap. He let his head fall against Nick's shoulder and closed his eyes. He thought maybe the eye closing was his dying. He guessed, maybe that was okay. Was a nice day to die with his brother's arms around him and the sun shinning.

"Don't you die, boy." Nick yammering at him disturbed his dying. He couldn't get his eyes open but he closed his hand on Nick's arm where it rested around him. Let him know he was listening. He could feel Nick's messing about and then a great wave of pain picked him up and dropped him down into a dark pit.