Patty O'Shea steered the wagon along the snow covered road. By now the snow was over a foot deep and drifting along the sides. "Would you be looking at that!" the Irishman exclaimed as the pointed to Doc's over turned buggy. "I said God would provide us with a wheel, and well, there it tis!"
Morrison and Kirkland exchanged looks as they watched O'Shea hop down into the snow to inspect the buggy, "Looks like it's all ours," he looked back through the swirling snow to his friends.
"Let's make this fast, Patty," Kirkland growled. "I'm cold and hungry," he barked.
Morrison slid off his horse and both he and O'Shea set to take a wheel off Doc's buggy. "This will do just fine," the Irishman nodded as he pulled a few tools out from under the wagon seat and began to take the exposed wheel that spun slightly with the wind.
Festus had gathered at least enough wood to get a small fire started. Using the butt of his six-shooter's grip and the flint stone he carried, he chipped away over some dry leaves he uncovered and placed in the little clearing. Doc watched on with baited breath hoping with each strike the spark would land and catch. With the tenth blow, one chip made its way into the leaves and smoke began to circle up and catch the wind.
Carefully Festus added small twigs and more leaves until the fire caught, "I think we're good," the hill man looked up to the doctor who looked absolutely frozen where he sat. He was shaking and the hill man knew that wasn't a good sign. The hill man added what little pieces of wood he had gathered to the growing fire.
"I'll be back directly with more wood," Festus said as he stood up and adjusted the blankets over the doctor's shoulder.
"Hurry Festus," Doc said through his chattering teeth. Festus nodded and scurried off into the woods for more wood; larger pieces of wood.
Wilbur Jonas placed a long on the fire in the little wood stove as he had promised the doctor. But there was no sign of his return. Jonas closed the stove door and left the office, pulling the office door closed behind him.
The sound it made caused Matt to look up as he was walking by the general store toward the Long Branch, "Jonas? Is Doc in?" he asked.
"No sign of him yet, Matt," the store owner said as he kicked at the snow as he walked down the stairs. "He asked me to check the stove, so I did," he shrugged as he reached the boardwalk.
"I sure hope that it isn't because of the baby," Matt drew his lips tight in thought.
"With this snow coming down, I bet that the Person's asked them to stay until it lets up," the store owner said as he adjusted his coat collar. "I'm heading to the Long Branch for a quick one before I go home. Care to join me?" Jonas smiled.
"Sure," Matt smiled back and the two men crossed the alley to the saloon.
Festus made it back to the impromptu camp with more wood and placed several pieces on the flames. "Move closer, Doc," he urged the doctor.
Doc shook his heed, "My leg is numb," he stated as he rubbed his right leg. "I thinks it caused by the accident with the buggy, and maybe I am just pushing myself too hard," he then ticked his head.
"Is it because of when you were shot?" the hill man asked with concern as he placed more wood on the fire.
"Might be," Doc stated. "I'll be fine in a while," he said as he tried to smile. He was finally feeling some heat from the flames.
"Wall I can't leave you sitting over there getting colder," Festus huffed. His only other course of action was to try and construct a lean-to to help block the bitter wind and to hold some heat.
The hill man gathered branches and bows and tired to weave them together behind the doctor, to block the wind and snow. Going was slow with the snow deepening, but eventually he has a decent structure. "I'm going back out to the buggy. We surely could use the canvas top," Festus stated.
Normally Doc would have protested loudly about someone ripping apart his rig, but he knew that he and Festus were in dire straights without shelter. The doctor watched the hill man disappear through the woods and snow, as he moved as quickly as he could to get to the buggy.
Once out of the woods, the wind seemed much worse, as did the falling snow. Festus moved along and spotted the three buffalo hunters; "Hey!" he shouted trying to get their attention. Festus even waved his arms in the air. "Hey you there," he yelled again.
Morrison looked up, "Who do you think that is?" he asked his friends.
"Maybe the one that owns this here buggy," Kirkland suggested.
As Festus neared he realized that they had stripped the buggy of a wheel, "That's our wheel!" he protested. His hunger was getting the better of his temperament. "You can't just take a wheel!"
"It isn't yours any more," Kirkland snapped.
"You can't jist leave us here without a wheel," Festus growled, flailing his hands.
"Well, mister, I don't see a horse, either," Morrison stated.
"That cause he ran off and I ain't had time to find him yet," Festus stated as he continued to move toward the over sideways buggy.
"Well, mister, good luck with looking for your horse," Kirkland stated as he climbed up onto his mount, "Come on fellas, lets get a move on," he added.
"At least you could give us a lift into Dodge," Festus stated.
"We'd rather travel alone," Morrison smiled.
Festus reached for his gun, which caused Kirkland to fire. Festus spun around and dropped behind the body of the buggy; he rolled sideways and fired a shot. He wasn't sure if he hit any of the buffalo hunters or not before they disappeared in the snow and fading light. "Damn," he huffed, looking down at his left arm. The bullet creased the fleshy inside of his left upper arm and it stung like the dickens.
Doc heard the shots from the small camp and jumped. "Festus?" he called out and struggled to stand, but his leg was too numb and he stumbled back down. The doctor felt helpless, "Festus?" he yelled out. Doc then groaned. "We should have stayed," he grumbled to himself, now knowing not only was he freezing cold, but half starved.
Festus heard the doctor, as he wrapped a bandana around his arm. He still needed the canvas top so he quickly began cutting it free from the metal frame. Whilst on his knees, Haggen felt something in the snow. He reached down to get the object and was delighted with his discovery – Doc's full whiskey bottle. The deputy stuffed the bottle into his coat pocket and finished with the canvas. Soon he was on his way back to the little camp.