HONORABLE INTENTIONS

CHAPTER TWELVE

The water closed over me, cold as ice, sucking me down, filling my boots and dragging me deeper while the current swept me along. I could hear the rush of swirling water, my body bumpin' and scrapin' against rocks while I pulled at the sling, tearing it from around my neck, setting my hand free.

I kicked with my feet trying to head for the surface but the water was tossin' me round so I couldn't make up from down. Every now and then I'd catch sight of the sun shining above me. But then the world tipped upside down again and I weren't makin' no headway towards it. My lungs burned with a need to take a breath and a pressure was building in my head, squeezing tighter and tighter the further I sank. I kicked hard at the water again… still goin' nowhere 'cept where the river's raging current dragged me. Struggling against its force, I fought to find the top but everything was rushin' past, confusin' me bout which way was up.

A rock bumped against my chest and I made a grab for it, the sharp edge shaving skin off my fingers. The squeezin' in my head got tighter and blackness started closing around me. But then I thought about Slim, and Daisy and Mike and what I had at the ranch. The people who had become my family…. And I thought about Deevy, too, and I knew I weren't gonna let him get away with what he'd done or what he was thinkin' on doin'. I had a score to settle. A fury fit to explode grew in my head and I clawed at the water fightin' to get to the surface.

Light glowed above, shimmerin' and shakin' and comin' closer. I was almost there when my hips scraped along somethin' rough, somethin' sticking out in the water, somethin' with a mind of trappin' me against it. I wrapped my left arm around what felt like a branch and pulled up hard knowing escape was just above me. But my lungs quit holdin' on and 'fore I could control it, I gasped for air but all I got was a lungful of water. I could feel it travellin' down my throat… could feel it cold in my chest and it burned at the same time and my lungs kept squeezin' wantin' more and I gulped again… then it hit, like a thousand pins stabbing at my chest from the inside… burnin' and stingin' and it hurt... This was the end… this was it… things were swirlin' round me… goin' slow like a dream… then the tree branch dug into my belly and I reached for it, my fingers catchin' and I held on… pullin' and kickin' till my head finally broke through the water. I came up coughin' and splutterin' and fightin' to take a breath.

Water swirled around and over me, doin' its best to break my hold on the one chance I had of gettin' outta this fix. My body was pressed tight against the fallen tree, a big one and it lay firm and solid against the flowin' river. I held on tight, suckin' air and forcin' back the need to puke.

I tried to hook a leg over one of the branches but the current kept dragging it back. Spittin' water from my mouth and growling like a grizzly, I forced my right arm over another branch. Least I was clinging in two places now. But that water was set on forcing my head down, fillin' my mouth and stingin' my eyes. And it was the thought of watching my bullet tear Deevy's head clean off his shoulders that kept me forcing my way up.

I clung to that dad-gum tree with every bit of strength I could muster, struggling against the constant flood of water swirling over and around me, tryin' to suck me down. It was cold enough to freeze my teeth together and my ears ached with it and my head throbbed and I was losin' the feelin' in my hands and I didn't know how much longer I could keep hangin' on.

"Jess!"

Then my mind went in all kinds of places that weren't right, thinkin' I heard someone callin' my name.

"Jess! Over here."

I forced my eyes to open against another wave of water rushin' over me, coughing and spittin' it from my mouth.

"Jess!"

Slim. I could hear my pard's voice and I musta been losin' my mind 'cause there weren't no way in hell it could really be him.

"Grab the rope." And something whipped along the side of my head.

"Jess, so help me if you don't get a hold of that rope I'm coming in after you myself. Now climb up higher and grab it."

"Slim...Sli..." Another gush of water swept over my head. "Slim...I can't. Holding on...with one hand...can't let go." And I went down again, my body slamming against the tree with the surge of the river. I kicked hard, and scraped a boot along the trunk, breaking through the surface again.

"Jess, you gotta get higher or I can't reach you."

I heard his words but they weren't makin' no sense. How was he gonna reach me? But I knew Slim well enough to trust him, so I kept pushing with my foot against the tree, inching along, dragging myself higher.

I found a small branch with my left foot and stepped hard on it, forcing myself forward trying to straddle the trunk at the same time. My body was fighting against the current, and my arms were shaking with the strain of hanging on. Finally my right leg made it all the way over and I used my left foot to get a step up then I gave it everything I had, pushing with both feet, pulling with my left hand and anchoring my right arm around another smaller branch. At last my shoulders broke clear and I hung on, breathin' hard and tremblin' with the effort and the cold.

"Jess! Hold still."

Blinking water from my eyes, I could see Slim on the river bank, winding up a lariat and readying himself to throw.

"Hold on Jess."

And he let it go. The rope looped over my shoulders and tightened around my chest, I slipped one arm over the loop and I could feel myself being dragged forward. I helped him as best I could kicking with my feet and pullin' with my left hand. I felt my body scraping over the tree trunk, my shirt tearing as it rubbed along the bark and caught against small branches.

"Push Jess, come on, help me out here!"

"I...am...push...ing." Water was still pourin' into my mouth every time l opened it. There was a loud crack as one of the branches above me broke off and I lurched forward, free of the tree and trailing through the water headin' towards the river bank. I clung to the rope with my left hand, hauling myself along, doin' my best to help Slim get me to the edge.

Rocks started to scrape along my belly and I struggled to my knees, then my feet and staggered to the bank. I got one foot up and then felt a hand grab under my arm and lift me the rest of the way and I looked up into the sweat-streaked face of Slim.

"What...what...are you doin'...here?" I gasped out, then my knees gave way and I sank to the ground, pulling Slim along with me.

"Saving...your...hide." He said then collapsed onto his back with a loud groan.

I knew I should a been wonderin' about that noise he made but I was too busy trying to breathe. And if that weren't enough, my stomach was emptying all that water I'd swallowed onto the ground in front of me. My belly cramped and my chest burned with every gasping breath I fought to take.

I lay on my side only half aware of what was goin' on around me. I couldn't decide if I was hurtin' all over or just too dadgum cold to feel anything.

Breathin' weren't comin' too easy and the air whistled in my lungs, making me cough and the coughing burned and there was a grey mist swirlin' through my head. I heard a ringing sound in my ears then the grey got darker until everything around me just kinda slipped away.

"Jess." Someone was shakin' me and slappin' at my face.

I lifted my hand to swat them away but it was no good, they weren't quittin'.

"Jess, come on, son, snap out of it."

"Will...ya..." and I broke into a coughing fit, my breath catching in my throat and my chest achin' with a need for air. I puked more water and pushed myself up with one hand, feelin' like I was gonna choke to death.

One last cough and suddenly that tight feeling around my chest loosened. I gulped in air, felt it wheezing down my throat and into my lungs. There was a voice too; I could just make it out. But it wasn't Slim.

"Jess, take it easy now. Breathe, nice and slow like." Then I was caught under both arms and dragged across the ground, coming to a stop sitting with my back against a tall cottonwood.

Mort Cory's face swam in front of me, those frown lines 'round his eyes deep and ponderin', his eyes black with a look I couldn't quite work out.

"What...wha..." But my question was broke off with more coughing.

"Easy." Mort put a hand on my shoulder, keepin' me steady. "Dammit, Jess, I've never known anyone can get themselves in more trouble than you."

"It weren't...ex...exactly...my...idea to go...swimmin' in...that river." I said, my breath still coming out in wheezy gasps.

"Yeah, I know. But you sure got a way about you, boy." He tipped his hat back and scraped a hand along his jaw.

"Where's...Slim?" I asked, makin' a half-hearted try at pushin' myself up.

"You just stay put. That other dang fool's over there," Mort nodded to the left of me,"makin' sure that tree don't fall down, neither."

I turned my head and found Slim, sitting in the same position as me, his back leaning against a tall pine, head tipped back and eyes squeezed shut. He was holdin' himself all stiff and nursing that arm of his tight across his body. Looked like he was breathin' hard, too.

"Mort? He don't...look so good." I said, wipin' a hand over my face and rubbing off some of the dirt sticking there.

"Yeah, if you two were book ends, you'd be a matching pair." Mort said, settin' his eyes on me."Between the two of you, looks like Doc Burns is gonna have his hands full."

"Doc Burns...is gonna have to...wait. We got some...more pressin' business to...take care of." It was still hard to breathe and talkin' wasn't much better.

"Slim!" I yelled, 'cept it wasn't comin' out real loud and shoutin' started me coughin' again. Didn't last long and when it was over I had another go, "Slim!"

"Yeah." He was sounding kinda husky, too. Mort was still squattin' down beside me and he turned his frown on Slim.

"What were ya thinkin'...throwin' that rope the way ya did?" I gasped.

"I was thinking I was gonna catch me a big ol' Harper fish for supper," he said, soundin' like he might wanna take a swing at me. "What in blue blazes did you think I was doing?" he asked, clenching his teeth.

"Well ya shouldn't a done it, not all banged up like ya are."

"Sure Jess, I should a just stood there and watched you drown."

"Course not, you shouldn't a been here in the first place."

"I won't be doin' it again in a hurry, that's for sure." And he hugged his arm tighter, grimacing.

I pulled my knees up, aiming to get my feet under me and stand up. But there weren't no strength in my legs and I was makin' a real mess of it. "Help me up...Mort."

"Where do you think you're goin?"

"Just...help me up...will ya? We gotta get back to...the Walker house. Joe Morgan's girl...Deevy left her...tied to a chair." I grabbed his arm and started haulin'.

"Now just a dang minute, Jess. You ain't going nowhere. Not yet. And Morgan's girl is fine. A little shook up but otherwise unhurt." Mort chuckled quietly and I threw him a look that shoulda fried his whiskers.

"What's so... dadgum funny?"

Mort shook his head. "She's sure got a temper, Jess. If I was Deevy, I'd be makin' straight for Canada."

"Yeah, and that's probably... where...he's goin'. With three hundred and eighty...of my dollars."

"The young lady told me about that." Mort stood up, shaking out his legs and stretching his back. "Reckon I'll get you two delivered to Doc Burns and then get a posse together."

"Mort." Slim was startin' to stir some, he wasn't lookin' quite so pale and that stiff set to his shoulders had relaxed some. "You go get that posse formed, no sense wastin' time takin' me and Jess to the doc's. Daisy will fix us up back at the ranch."

"Mort… Mort… Daisy… and Mike… are they okay?" If Slim was here, then weren't no-one protectin' the ranch.

"I've left Pete and Jed out at the ranch. Miss Daisy's just fine and young Mike's in school."

I let out a slow breath and that got me coughing all over again.

Mort stood between us, looking like he was having a hard time decidin' what to do. "You two sure you gonna be all right to get home?"

"Go." I said. "The...the longer you wait the more chance Deevy's got...to get away."

"Slim? What about you?"

"Told ya to go, didn't I? We'll be fine."

"Mort, did you...did you see my horse?" I asked, wondering if Deevy took him.

"Yeah, he's still tied up back at that girl's house."

"Gladys… her… her name's Gladys."

"Yeah. Well, you two just stay out of trouble."

I nodded. "Sure."

"I'll be on my way then." He looked at Slim then me. Shaking his head, he walked over to his horse, mounted and took off at an easy lope through the trees.

With some effort, and keeping my hurt hand close to my belly, I managed to get to my feet, my banged up knee not cooperatin' real well, a new patch of red soaking through the bandage.

I took a minute to get my head straight, leaning against the tree, shiverin' with a cold that wouldn't let go. Slim had pulled himself up, too, and was standin' against his tree, eyes closed, mouth a thin, tight line, his chest heavin' in big slow breaths.

"It hurt bad?" I asked, nodding at his arm.

"Been better." He said through gritted teeth, "You?"

"Same, I reckon."

"Let's get goin'," He started to make a move towards his horse. "You need to get dry 'fore you freeze to death."

"No argument there." I followed him to where his horse was grazing a little ways off.

Slim wasn't lookin' much steadier on his feet than me. I was betting that bone had moved some when he threw the rope and dragged me in. I watched him stagger then go down on one knee, clutching at his shoulder.

"Slim!"

By the time I got to his side, he was hissing in pain, his eyes squeezed shut.

Slim don't often cuss, but he sure as heck was making up for it now.

"Slim… you ok?"

"What… do you… think?" He snarled at me.

I was just about to answer him when my chest cramped and all I managed to get out was a deep hacking cough. It went on and on so as I weren't getting no air in at all. I moved away from Slim and leaned against a tree bent over strugglin' to take a breath. I could feel my lungs wheezing and them thousand pin pricks were back in my chest and the pain was makin' my head spin.

"Jess?"

Slim had a hold of my arm and was shakin' me. But it weren't no good… tears streamed down my face as I fought to get control - my knees shaking with the effort and it wasn't until I spat up another gutful of water that I was able to get some air. The coughing and the pain eased off and I leaned hard against the tree till I got my breathin' back to normal.

"Pard… you okay?"

I nodded yes, gasping at the air. Slim had a firm grip on my arm and I hate to admit it, but I was mighty glad he did.

"Reck… reckon… I'll live." I said, pushing away from the tree and easing myself up. "Let's… let's get riding."

"You sure you can make it?" Slim asked.

"I'll manage."

We slowly and carefully made our way to Slim's horse.

"You… sit in front," I said.

He mounted first then scooted forward leaving the stirrup free for me to mount up behind him. I tucked my busted hand inside my shirt hopin' to steady it some and then looped my left thumb over Slim's belt.

Slim kept his horse to a walk and even going slow, that lurchin was makin' my hand throb and my head thump. I knew it weren't doin' Slim no good neither, the way he was hunchin' forward tryin' to protect his shoulder.

"How'd you find me?" I asked after awhile.

"Mort. Came out to the ranch looking for you. Had some news. Reward money. Said someone spotted Deevy… heading towards… Walker place." I didn't like the way Slim was talkin' in spurts. He musta been hurtin' real bad. So I shut up.

Continued in chapter thirteen